Parenting 101
by taylormarierome
Summary: Headmistress McGonagall knows that the reason for students turning into Death Eaters during the second Wizarding War was due to old prejudices during child rearing. McGonagall decides to make all the sixth and seventh year students take a parenting class. The students are paired up to raise a magically-made child for the school year. What could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1: The Pairing of the Parents

After the Battle of Hogwarts and Voldemort is defeated, Hogwarts beckons for all its students to come back and repeat that last year. The students don't mind – after all, they all want to go back and start fresh to erase the terrifying memories of the tragedy that took place there.

Hogwarts, now rebuilt to its former glory, is finally put into the responsible hands of the new Headmistress Professor McGonagall. McGonagall strongly believes that the reason for the students turning to Death Eaters was because they were not shown the love and compassion, leadership and disciple, right and wrong, that all kids need to be led towards at a young age from their parents.

Her idea to keep another evil outburst from ever happening in the Wizarding world?

Make all the sixth and seventh year students take a parenting class, teaching them how to parent so that they can make sure they lead their kid towards right.

Hundreds of students all paired up to raise a magically-made child for the entire school year.

What could possibly go wrong?

Oh, right – _everything_.

 **-x-**

 _It's dangerous to fall in love_

 _But I want to burn with you tonight_

 _Hurt me_

 _There's two of us_

 _Bristling with desire_

 _The pleasure's pain and fire_

 _Burn me_

\- "Fire Meet Gasoline" by Sia

 **-x-**

Hermione Granger was the first to arrive in class, just as she had always done before dropping out to defeat the lord of all evil with her two best friends.

The three were welcomed back as the biggest heroes of the Battle, they got attention from everyone. Hermione was so excited – far more than she should be, actually, since she and her boyfriend since their kiss on the battlefield, Ron Weasley, had just broken up. Over the summer, while she and Harry had been staying at the Burrow for quite a while, they had found there was no spark. It had happened heat of the moment, their kiss, and it just wasn't meant to be.

The short trial run of their relationship had ended mutually, still best friends without the slightest change in their dynamic, and the three were quite happy with it that way.

But she had changed over the summer. Emotionally, and physically as well. She'd spent half of her summer in Australia, looking for her parents to restore their memories. She was a bit tanner, she'd put back on the weight she'd lost from the school year on the run with Harry and Ron, mostly due to Mrs. Weasley forcing them to eat about five meals a day until she was convinced they looked just like they did before the war.

Unfortunately, she could not restore her parents' memories. To restore their memories after having them gone for a year could cause serious damage to them, and she loved them far too much to endanger them. That was why she had done it in the first place, after all. So she resolved herself to go back to The Burrow and let them continue their happy lives in Australia without her.

The summer was a whirlwind. The three of them had been awarded Order of Merlin, first class, and were constantly being bombarded by the Ministry to attend events, by the newspapers and magazines for private interviews – Hermione had even gotten one very weird letter from the magazine _Play Wizard_ , asking her for a private nude spread to give their readers a look at the beauty inside the brains. She had politely declined, although to be offered was an interesting experience all on its own.

Of course, the memories of the horrors she'd experienced throughout the past year would never leave her nightmares. They wouldn't leave anyone's, for that matter. Everyone had lost too much, too soon, for them to be okay. But they carried on, because now they had something to live for – their future.

Hermione twirled her quill around her fingers absentmindedly, waiting for Ron and Harry to show up. She'd left early, anxious to get to their first hour Parenting 101 class. No one except the teachers had a clue what this class would entail, but everyone seemed either terrified or excited for this class.

Finally, Ron and Harry walked through the door. She waved them over, Harry taking the seat beside her and Ron sitting behind the two of them. The three talked for a bit, as there was only two other students in here (Ravenclaw sixth years, Hermione thought).

"What's this class going to be about, anyways?" Ron asked, running his hand through his red locks, now shorter after his mother had pestered him to cut it all summer. He'd finally caved a few weeks ago, along with Harry.

"I can't imagine that we'd be taking care of an electric baby like we did in primary school," Hermione chipped in.

Ron looked terrified. "Muggles electrify babies?!"

Harry sighed and shook his head. "No, Ron." He smiled, looking around the familiar classroom setting. It was good to be back, especially since no one had expected Hogwarts to recover so quickly after the destruction of the battle.

Hermione giggled, then turned to Harry. "So, you said that Dudley contacted you through a letter the day before term started? We never found out what happened with that."

Harry had grown to actually make amends with his former tormentor and cousin. Dudley had apologized shortly before his parents and he rushed to get away from Harry when she found the danger that being around him caused.

As Hermione asked him, a smile grew on his face. He answered, "He's contacted me twice before that, but he wrote this letter to tell me something important." He glanced between his two best friends, then breathed out excitedly, "He fell in love with a witch."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "No way. That's brilliant! Good for him!"

Ron let out a low whistle. "How does she handle him? Feel sorry for the poor girl who ended up with that bloke."

"It's Cho. Cho Chang."

Ron choked on his own spit. "WHAT?!"

"And she likes him back?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged. "I guess. They're together now, he's a changed person. They seemed quite happy when I went to visit, actually."

"And you don't care?" Hermione asked, checking on him. She knew that his former feelings for Cho might be clouding his judgment, or might be giving him conflicting feelings.

But Harry shook his head. "'Course not. I have Ginny, why would I care? If he's happy, then good on him."

Speaking of the red-haired devil herself, Ginny flounced into the room and smiled when she saw the group. She sat behind Ron, and Harry leaned forward to give her a peck on the cheek. Ron did not look like he appreciated it, which Hermione rolled her eyes at. Ginny and Harry had been together all summer, she had hoped he'd gotten used to it, but apparently not.

Students kept entering the classroom, more chatter being added to the atmosphere. Then, Hermione was shocked to see one Draco Malfoy, his friends Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson beside him.

Ron grumbled, "Can't believe those bloody Death Eaters had the nerve to come back here. They're the ones who wrecked it in the first place, how could they think they have the right to come back?"

Hermione was too busy staring at the new arrivals. They sure looked different from when they'd all last seen each other on the battlefield. Their looks changed slightly, but that's not what surprised her. They carried themselves differently, not with the swagger she'd grown accustomed to seeing the Slytherins walk with. With more humility, it almost seemed.

Hermione cleared her throat and looked away after a moment. She said, "I'm surprised Lavender came back as well. After she was attacked by Greyback, everyone's been saying she's a Werewolf now." She shook her head dismally. "It's so sad, I wish I could have hit him with the spell before he had the chance to slash her."

Harry touched her arm. "It wasn't your fault. And at least she's not dead."

Ron leaned forward and whispered, "I heard that Malfoy spent the year with Vampires after they lost the war. Think he might be one as well?"

Hermione snorted just as all the seats finished filling, and Professor McGonagall entered the room swiftly, just as she always did. The voices quickly hushed, honoring their new headmaster, who had proved to be one of the bravest people in the war entirely.

She smiled at them all, a rare gift to a group of all houses. "I'm so glad you all came back. Truly, I am. I'm glad those who were heroes came back – " she looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione with slight fondness. " – or if you came to prove yourself worthy to return, trying to gain back acceptance for your past grievances. " As she said this, her eyes flickered ever so quickly towards the Slytherins. "I know there are some bad memories that come with this castle, but I'm so proud you all found the strength to return. I know this will be a very good year."

She looked at all of the students in the room right now. "I'm sure you are all wondering what this class is now, correct?" When the students nodded, she continued, "As the root cause of children turning to Voldemort to become Death Eaters was because they did not feel accepted anywhere else, we are going to work to build all of you into loving and accepting young ladies and gentleman." With a sly smile, she said, "And who is more loving and accepting than a parent?"

A hand rose from the back, and when called upon, Seamus Finnigan's voice said, "So, what, yeh're gonna give us baby dolls ta' take care of?"

"Not necessarily, Mr. Finnigan." She rose her voice to make sure everyone heard her clearly: "You will be paired with another student, a sixth or seventh year like yourselves, whom the sorting hat put together based on compatibility and personality traits."

Ron's jaw dropped, and he couldn't help but stammer, "So, you guys are promoting us to… to just…?"

Professor McGonagall fixed him with a glare of disgust. "For Godric's sake, Mr. Weasley, we don't allow that Hocus Pocus."

Students around the room snickered, and Ron's ears turned red, embarrassed.

McGonagall continued, "You and your partner will use a spell especially made for this purpose, by the headmistress of Beauxbatons, who has made her students do this exact same thing in years past. Using both a spell and a potion, you will create a child. It will start as a baby only a few weeks old, and by the end of the year, the child will be just shy of ten years old. Then, the child will disappear. The child isn't necessarily real, but they will act just like one. You will have to raise them, show them love and compassion, just as a real parent would."

Another hand raised, and a Hufflepuff girl asked, "How do we take care of the child together if we aren't in the same dorm? Let alone the same house!"

"You will be sharing dorms with your partner." Students immediately started talking, and Professor McGonagall clucked her tongue, "Hush now! You are all adults now, and I expect that you all will act responsibly with this!" She looked around. "The sexual orientation of each Witch and Wizard was adjusted accordingly; if you are a homosexual, you have been paired with another with the same preference in your gender, to make it more comfortable for you."

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw two Hufflepuff boys holding hands and looking extremely happy at this. One whispered in the other's ear, and they smiled at each other. Hermione was glad that this generation was progressing in such brilliant ways.

"Other than that," Professor McGonagall said, "You will be with the other gender, living in a dorm with the child. You have already been assigned with which house dorm you will be staying in, along with your partners, which I will read off now."

Clearing her throat, she began to read off the names: "Hannah Abbott and Neville Longbottom, Hufflepuff dorms… Eliza Bates and Xander Rogers, Ravenclaw dorms… William Porter and Maxwell Edwards, Hufflepuff dorms…"

At the last two names, the two boys that Hermione had seen smiling at each other hugged, clearly happy to be paired with each other. Hermione hoped that she would be paired with someone she could stand, maybe even love, like those two.

"Luna Lovegood and Blaise Zabini, Slytherin dorms."

Hermione looked over at Luna, who looked indifferent. Blaise Zabini had turned to look at Luna, and he waved slightly at her, giving her the friendliest smile he could muster. Zabini had always been a nicer, shyer Slytherin. Hermione figured that Luna would be good with him, both of them quite soft-spoken and kind.

"… Hermione Granger and – " Professor McGonagall cut herself off. She stared at the list closer, as if she wasn't sure if she had read it right. Then she cleared her throat, and said: "… and Draco Malfoy, Slytherin dorms."

"What?!" Hermione gasped.

"What?!" Draco shouted with wide eyes.

"What?!" Ron screamed aggressively.

"WHAT?!" The entire room echoed.

McGonagall glared at the students, shouting at them to hush, trying to silence them. She heard screams of "Outrageous!" and "Bloody insulting!" coming from both sides of the parties.

"QUIET!" McGonagall demanded. Finally, the voices lulled to whispers. "I'm not done with the pairings, if you don't mind!" She glared at all of the students, daring them to try and interrupt her again.

After another dozen names: "Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter, Gryffindor dorms." There was an unspoken _of course_ that went without saying.

Everyone knew it was going to happen, the two had been made for each other for years. Ron whispered threats about if Harry dared to try and sleep with his sister, and Hermione usually would have tried to stop him from embarrassing Harry, but she was too preoccupied with horror – she was paired with Draco Malfoy. She would have to share a dorm with Draco Malfoy, raise a child with Draco Malfoy.

Being dragged by her ears through a desert seemed more appealing than that.

The very last names on the list: "Pansy Parkinson and Ronald Weasley, Gryffindor dorms."

They both stood up indignantly and screamed that they would never deal with being within twenty feet of the other. Shouts at each other and at the Professor ensued, before she cast a mouth binding spell on both of them.

She glared at them as she rolled up her scroll and replaced her wand to her pocket. "I assure you that these pairings will be for the best, and they are quite accurate – at least for the time being."

Unbinding them quick, they both sat down silently, as if they still had the spell on them.

Professor McGonagall then said, "Now, go back to your originally assigned dorms; tomorrow we will create the children, then you will go back to your new dorms after that!"

Hermione was zoning in and out at this point, unable to focus on the prospect of being forced to live with Draco Malfoy.

"…Come a bit early if you have questions or would like to change the location of your dorm – but NO CHANGING PARTNERS!" There was groaning and mumbling, but about half of the class seemed happy or content enough with the pairings.

The hour was up, and McGonagall sent them on their way. Malfoy didn't look at Hermione the entire time he left class, keeping his eyes trained on the ground to avoid eye contact.

Hermione grabbed her books and went to McGonagall. She took a deep breath, and began, "Professor, I'm sorry, but I really don't think this would be good. Malfoy – he – I – this must be a mistake!"

McGonagall gave Hermione a look that said that she knew something Hermione didn't. "Miss Granger, I can assure you, there is no mistake. I believe Mister Malfoy has truly changed over this past year; give him a chance. Besides, I think you're the only one who can manage to be his partner."

"What about his – "

"Miss Granger, I don't want to argue with you on this. Just know that we chose you especially for this – the compatibility speaks for itself."

"But we are nothing alike!" Hermione objected, waving her arms around wildly.

McGonagall smirked at her. "Oh, dear, I'm sure you'll find that to be untrue. Just wait. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get the next list for the next group of students."

Hermione shuffled off, sighing dramatically. She knew that there was no way she would be able to wiggle out of this one.


	2. Chapter 2: Making Hope

Note:  
So, this is the next chapter! This is the first story I've released on this website, hope I'm doing Dramione well! I've been eager to write this story for so long! I've got a few chapters already written, I'm thinking this story will be around 20 chapters, but I'm not entirely sure yet, haven't planned that far in advance up to this point. Anyways, I'd love to hear feedback! Thanks so much for reading!

Xo, Taylor

Oh, and P.S.: I will be including the part about Bellatrix carving "mudblood" into Hermione's arm, even though it wasn't in the book, but I'm a film major and thought it was an incredible addition, adding to the bad blood between Hermione and Draco's family, so I thought it would do well in this story.

 **-x-**

 _I know that I can't have it all_

 _But without you I am afraid I'll fall_

 _I know I'm playing with your heart_

 _And I could treat you better but I'm not that smart_

\- "I'm A Ruin" by Marina & The Diamonds

 **-x-**

Hermione plopped herself down for breakfast the next morning between Seamus and Ginny. She took a deep breath and said, "Anyone actually ready for this…?"

Seamus shivered. "Merlin, no. I can't take care of a kid! I can barely take care of meself!" He looked across at the Hufflepuff girl who he was paired with. Then he whispered, "Got ta' admit though, happy how fit my partner turned out."

Ginny rolled her eyes, then said, "Well, Harry and I are excited! Right, Harry?"

Harry, who was reading a book, looking up when he heard his name. "Huh? What was that?"

Hermione's jaw dropped. "Harry, are you… you're reading!"

Harry blushed. "Yeah… it's a parenting book. I've never really had a family of my own, so I want to be the best parent that I can be. So, I'm reading up, trying to learn how to take care of a baby. I'd never been around kids much before Teddy."

Harry's eyes lit up at the mention of his beloved godson, Teddy Lupin. Unfortunately, Andromeda Tonks had fallen ill and was in St. Mungo's until she recovered. So, Teddy was staying with the Weasley's. But Molly and Arthur didn't seem to mind one bit; they seemed to miss the time when their kids were his age, carefree and happy all the time, without a worry in the world. They adored him, and Harry was glad that Teddy was staying with them rather than anyone else in the world.

"Will you be okay, Hermione?" Ginny whispered. "I mean, since you're stuck with… you know, Malfoy."

Hermione sighed. "It'll be a hellish experience, but I'll gut through it. I'm an only child, so I've always wanted to take care of a baby, and I won't let Malfoy ruin this for me. I need to prepare to be a mother, after all."

"But imagine Malfoy _actually_ having kids," Harry said, shaking his head. "Poor kids, I feel bad for 'em already. You best take care of raising them entirely, 'Mione."

Hermione grimaced at the reminder that she was going to have to live with Draco. Her thoughts were halted when Ron sat in front of her, angrily spreading butter on toast, poking holes in the bread with the knife.

"Ronald, stop mauling your toast!" Hermione corrected, out of habit.

Ron ignored her, grumbling to himself. "…Stupid class, stupid Parkinson, stupid…"

Ginny rolled her eyes and shrugged at Hermione to ignore him. The two talked together, about how they hoped their kids would look like and what living with their partner would be like. Soon, they found it was time to go to class. Harry closed the parenting book and took another piece of toast, Ron stomping along beside them all.

They got to class, to see that there was a cauldron and an old advanced potions book on each table. Also, a name card on the table. Hermione searched for her name, to find her card: GRANGER/MALFOY.

She sat at the table, waiting for Malfoy to show up. She anxiously tapped her fingers against the wood table, dreading the moment when they would have to actually bring a child to life – well, not necessarily life, but as close as it could get for class.

She saw Malfoy enter the room, making her take a deep breath in anticipation. As he quietly sat down beside her, she braced herself for an insult.

She waited…

And waited….

And waited….

But the insult still didn't come.

She looked up, into Draco's silver eyes. He cautiously made eye-contact with her, and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Hello, Granger."

"Uh, hi."

Hermione wasn't sure how to react to this. She had never once experienced in her life a Draco like this – one that wasn't extremely terrible towards her. What else was she _supposed_ to say?

This was a new Malfoy. His overall look was completely different. He now didn't have the cocky swagger that he always had in all the time she's known him; now he just looked … confused. As if the entire world had started turning the other way, and he hadn't a clue how to exist anymore.

He coughed awkwardly. "So, uh, I guess we should start thinking of names for the baby."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "Name?"

"Yeah. We're going to have it for ten months, we have to call it something. I mean, I'm pretty sure we have to." Although he looked awkward, he still didn't blush. Hermione had never once seen Draco Malfoy blush, and clearly his summer change wasn't going to make his usurp all of his old habits.

"Well," Hermione pondered, trying to act as if talking casually to Draco Malfoy was a completely normal thing. "I, uh, I guess we need to figure out both boy and girl names. Since we don't know which one we're getting, right?"

Draco nodded in agreement. "Well, um, any suggestions?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "For a boy, what about the name Xavier? I've always loved that name."

Draco nodded. "Any ideas for a girl?"

She offered an olive branch, seeing as he was offering one as well. "You pick the girl's name. Any names you like?"

Draco shrugged. Then, as an afterthought, he added, almost as a whisper, "Actually, I have one… What about … Hope?"

"Hope?"

"Yeah."

Hermione couldn't help but smile, although she hid it well. "I like Hope."

Draco gave a little half-smile, and Hermione could tell that his flawless white teeth were the same as well, although she had usually only seen them when he sneered at her. Draco had changed, but then again, she supposed that some things never change.

The rest of the class now seated with their partner just as Professor McGonagall strode into class, her stance exuding the same power and strength that she'd always had for all her years as a teacher. "Turn to page one hundred and thirty six," She began. "That is where the potion and the spell are to create the child. I trust you all have accepted your placements." She eyed everyone in the room. "Begin."

Malfoy looked at the book, then quickly retrieved the ingredients without a word. "Do you need any help?" Hermione asked as he began to cut through the dragon scales.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm quite fine, I know you're used to carrying your friends to a passing grade, but there's no need to do that with me."

Although a part of her told her she should be offended for the sake of her friends, she was actually relieved. Finally, someone who could match her intellect and keep up.

Hermione nodded, and kept reading the book and read out the steps, which Draco followed with ease. As Draco splashed a handful of Cornish pixie dust into the cauldron, he said, "I wonder how they actually make the baby look like the parents…"

Hermione looked down at the book, read for a moment, then declared, "Oh, here it is!" She read, "'A few drop of blood from each of the parents must be dropped into the cauldron as the final ingredient, completing the potion. Then say the spell "Episkey" to heal the cut.'"

"Oh." Draco was quiet for a minute, then he said, "We're almost done with the potion, now. We should be doing the blood soon…"

Professor McGonagall then amplified her voice, saying, "Make sure when you say the spell, you _do not_ stutter! It could result in complications! Speak loudly and clearly, both parents at the same time! Then, you will hear a cry, and you reach in and pull the baby out of the cauldron! There are towels on your desks to dry off the baby, and clothes at the table in the back to dress your baby. DO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND?"

A chorus of "Yes, Professor" echoed around the room, and Hermione noticed Ron had paled. He had never done well with pressure, especially around a lot of people.

She shook her head and finished the potion. She then grabbed the knife, cast a sterilizing spell on it, and looked to Draco. "Shall I go first?" Without waiting for his answer, she carefully placed the knife's tip on her fingertip, and pressed. She sucked in a deep breath, then held her finger over the cauldron. A few drops of blood dripped quickly into it, and she said the spell. The wound healed without a trace of it ever being there.

She handed the knife to Draco slowly. He held it tightly for a moment, and Hermione could see his hand clutching it like a vice. Then he cast the sterilization spell once more, and cut a quick, thin line across his palm. A bit of his blood fell into the cauldron, and he quickly said the healing spell. He had paled considerably, although Hermione wasn't entirely sure why.

Hermione turned back to the spell book. She pointed at the book for Draco to read. "This is the spell we need to say. No stuttering, no pausing. We need to say it together, with our hands on the cauldron."

Draco read it, then raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Not a very unique name for a baby spell."

Hermione smiled lightly, and they both put their hands on the cauldron. "On three?" Hermione asked. Draco nodded. "One… two…. three."

" _Conceptous novica_."

As their words twirled together, a little red bubbling appeared out of the cauldron. Worried, nervous, they both looked at each other in confusion. They waited just another second –

A small, wailing cry came from inside the cauldron. Hermione earnestly reached her hands into the cauldron, and pulled out a beautiful baby. Hermione whispered to both herself and to Draco: "It's a girl."

The baby already looked six weeks old, no longer a pink little thing, but a flawless cream color. Hermione grabbed the towel and wiped the wet potion that was a residue on the baby's skin off. Sensing that she was now dry and in comforting arms, the baby stopped wailing as Hermione held her. Finally, the child opened her eyes. With a little gurgle, Hermione smiled down at her. She'd know those eyes anywhere.

She turned the child to Draco, letting him see the child with his matching silver eyes. "Look like anyone familiar?"

Draco almost looked like he was going to cry for a moment. Then he whispered, so quietly that Hermione didn't even hear, "Let's hope that's the only thing she got from me…"

Hermione held the baby out to Draco, and wrapped in the towel, he took the child into his arms. The baby smiled, almost as if she already was content with who was holding her. Draco let out a deep breath, as if expecting the baby to cry the second she was in the nook of his elbow. "She's beautiful…"

Hermione marveled at the Draco Malfoy in front of her. She was shocked, she hadn't a clue what to do. She had never thought, in a million years, he would ever look at anything with such affection, especially not a baby they made in class. But already his eyes were foggy with pride, as if this was the one right thing he had done in his life –

"YOU STUPID FUCKING WEASEL!"

There was a roar from a few desks behind them. Draco covered the child, shielding her with his body as if by instinct.

Hermione turned and looked behind them. She saw, squealing and crying on the table, two red-haired babies. And behind the table, Pansy Parkinson with her hands reaching for Ron's neck to strangle him.

"Miss Parkinson!" Professor McGonagall shouted, pulling Ron out of her grip. "We do not accept that language in my classroom!"

"HE STUTTERED!" Pansy howled in anger. "HE STUTTERED AND NOW WE'RE STUCK WITH TWINS! HOW DO WE PUT ONE BACK?!"

"Miss Parkinson," Professor McGonagall said, her voice tense. "In real life, you can't 'put one back'. Why do you think I didn't let you choose the characteristics or gender of the baby, by adding a few more simple ingredients? No, that's not how babies are really made. You'll just have to deal with it."

Pansy started to wail with the twins on the table. Draco sighed and handed the baby back to Hermione as he said, "I should go help."

The rest of the class now turning their attention back to their own cauldrons, Draco went to Pansy, and whispered something in her ear. She said something back quietly, and he gave her another answer. Then she sighed and took one of the kids, picking them up into her arms. Ron cautiously took the other, and they started to dry them off.

Draco went back to Hermione, then said, "So, clothes?"

Hermione nodded. They headed back to the table. Diapers and onesies in multitudes of colors lay there. Hermione said, "You pick out some clothes, I'll put the diaper on." Draco nodded, and went to the other side of the table.

As she put the diaper on her baby girl, she was astounded once again how much she resembled her father. Her silver eyes, the soft features, the chin… the baby even had the starting tufts of his light hair. She picked the baby up and examined her. She was a perfectly healthy size for a baby, and Hermione was pleased by this fact.

Then, Draco appeared beside her, holding a light pink onesie with the words 'Daddy's Little Princess' scrawled in cursive across the belly. Hermione rolled her eyes, and Draco cocked an eyebrow. "What? I like this one."

He carefully put the clothes on her, then picked her back up. He said, "I want to carry her back to our dorm, if that's okay." Hermione nodded, and they approached McGonagall.

She smiled at the baby, touching the child's nose gently. The little girl giggled happily, and Professor McGonagall said, "You can head over to your dorm now. It's in the Slytherin section, and your names will be on the door of the new sector. I've already instructed all the teachers that the sixth and seventh year students won't be coming to the rest of their classes for the rest of the day. You all need to get used to taking care of a child."

Draco nodded and Hermione did the same.

"So, what's her name?"

Hermione was about to answer, when Draco cut her off, answering for her: "Hope. Her name is Hope."

"Interesting," McGonagall pondered. "Any particular reason you chose that name?"

Hermione looked up at Draco, eager to know his answer as well as their Professor.

Without skipping a beat, he looked at the small child in his arms. Then he answered softly, "Because even when it seems pointless, ridiculous, and you regret every decision you've ever made … there's always hope."


	3. Chapter 3: New Beginnings

**TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of rape, torture, and murder during this chapter.**

 **-x-**

 _The scar I can't reverse_  
 _When the more it heals the worse it hurts_  
 _Gave you every piece of me, no wonder it's missing_  
 _Don't know how to be so close to someone so distant_

\- "Dynasty" by MIIA

 **-x-**

Hermione walked beside Draco as he led her to the Slytherin commons. Holding the baby tightly in his arms, he walked considerable slower so Hermione could keep up. She was much shorter than him, and his long legs made him stride much faster than Hermione could.

They walked in silence the entire way to the dungeons.

Then, they finally stood before the portrait. It was a new portrait, as the last one had perished in the fire that had happened during the Battle of Hogwarts. This one, a slender woman in green robes and dark hair pinned up just right, asked in a posh voice, "Password?"

Draco answered without skipping a beat, "Blood equality." The portrait door flung open, and they stepped inside.

Hermione looked up at Draco, one eyebrow cocked in question. He answered with a shrug, saying, "Well, we need people to know that most of us Slytherins aren't like that anymore – we've all changed over the year. _All_ of us, not just … you know, Slytherins."

Hermione nodded in answer, and they continued walking down the hall of dorms. Finally, they saw their names on a door in a curt scrawl: GRANGER/MALFOY.

Hermione opened the door, and her jaw dropped. Draco shrugged and said, "It'll do."

They saw in front of them a beautiful décor, the first thing they saw was a quaint living space, set up like a small common room. To the left, three bedrooms, two with a set-up similar to the previous dorms, and in the middle of those rooms, a smaller room with a cot and baby supplies in the corners of the room. On the other side, a small kitchen, and a bathroom.

"All of this for us?" Hermione whispered.

Draco set the baby down on the little play-set that had been set in the middle of the living room previous to their arrival. Draco twirled some toys, and the baby watched with entranced eyes. Draco answered, only half paying attention to Hermione, "We have to live like a family, so we have a little house. Makes sense."

There was a knock on the door when Draco finished speaking. "I'll get it," He said, picking the baby back up and placing her into Hermione's arms.

He opened the door and smiled wide. "Blaise, how are you?"

"Good, man. Luna wanted to talk to Hermione, figured we might as well chat," His tanned friend answered with a blindingly white smile. Hermione couldn't help but wonder if all Slytherins have teeth brighter than the sun, or is it just these two?

Behind him, Luna skipped into the dorm, the baby in her arms giggling and clapping its tiny hands together. She smiled and cocked her head to the side, looking at their child. "Hello, Hermione. Hello, little Hermione-Draco."

Hermione smiled. It was always refreshing to get a dose of Luna's carefree persona; her aura always spread over the whole room like a breeze on a hot day. "Her name is Hope. Hope Malfoy, I suppose."

"That's a beautiful name." She gazed down at her baby. "His name's Xenophilius, after father. But we're just calling him Xeno. Blaise has been calling him Z."

Hermione smiled down at the child in her friend's arms. The baby had skin a shade lighter than Blaise's, and the same black hair as him as well, but his hair curled just as Luna's did. Unlike either parent, his eyes were the most breathtaking thing she'd seen in a baby. Eyes the color of the sea – the perfect light green that people dream of when they yearn for the beach. "Xeno Zabini. He's gorgeous."

"Thank you." Luna kissed her son's forehead, making him laugh a little. "He has my mother's eyes. It's going to be dreadful when they disappear."

Hermione looked back down at the baby in her arms, shocked. The baby had been rocked to sleep, her head resting on her shoulder, Hope's tiny hands gripping the collar of Hermione's shirt for comfort. Hermione looked at the babe, the innocence that lay like a blanket over its entire being. She forgot entirely that this baby wasn't permanent. It wasn't even real – _she_ wasn't real. She was a spell and a potion, something temporary that would disappear in ten months. She whispered to herself, "Oh… right… disappear…"

At the door, Blaise whispered, "Luna's something amazing, you know that?" Draco shrugged, and he continued, "Honestly, it's remarkable. She's so … unique. She doesn't care about what people think about her, not even me. That's pretty damn different – I love it." He let out a sigh. "I don't think she likes me much though. She's been giving Xeno all the attention."

Draco raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Mate, you're jealous of a baby that's existed for about twenty minutes."

Blaise just seemed to realize how ridiculous he sounded when Draco put it out there. "Oh, right." He called out, "Luna, we should go to our dorm now."

Luna nodded once, then turned back to Hermione, talking to her as they walked to the door, both holding the babies.

"See what I mean?" Blaise muttered. "Nothing for me, and I'm the damn father."

Draco rolled his eyes. "All right, see you three later."

They left, Luna waving a goodbye at Hermione, and they went to their dorm a few doors down. Draco closed the door again, then looked at their child again. The baby asleep, Hermione whispered, "I'll go put her down in her crib."

Draco nodded and watched her go to the room. She lovingly set the baby in the crib, tucking one caramel curl behind her ear. Smiling at the baby for a moment, then she straightened back up and walked back out of the room.

Clearing his throat, pretending that he hadn't been just looking at her, he said, "Hermione, please sit down for a second. I figure this is a good a time as any to speak with you about this issue."

Hermione, surprised and suspicious at the same time, sat down slowly. She turned her body towards Draco, giving him her full attention.

Taking a deep breath, he began, "I want to give you my deepest and most sincere apologize. For all that I've done to you over the years. I realize how horrible I was, and I regret every second of it now. You didn't deserve it, I know that, and deep down I always did. I was taught from a baby to hate muggles and the muggle-borns. My father drilled that thought into my mind, and it ruined how I could have been. That's no excuse, but I just want to know if you could find it in you to forgive me."

Hermione weighed her options. On one hand, this was the man who had tormented her throughout all her school, who told her she was nothing, that she was worthless compared to him just because of his blood. On the other, she had never seen someone look so truly repentant. And now that she thought about it, he wasn't too terrible sixth year, but she supposed that was because he had been given a mission by the Dark Lord, that could take anyone's mind off of their usual routine.

"Can I ask something?" She asked. When Draco nodded, she said, "What changed your mind?"

Hermione saw the pained expression on his face, as he explained, "I had taken the Dark Mark once my father was sent to Azkaban, and Vol-Voldemort," he choked on the name slightly, still so uncomfortable about saying it aloud. "He wanted to punish my father. Or maybe just get a replacement for him. I'm not sure. I – he was already living in the manor by then. I didn't like it, I had started questioning it all. How he'd take these muggles and muggleborns and torture them. That wasn't even the worst of it. Whenever he'd bring young girls in, they'd…" Draco tried to steady himself again, but his breath was already so unsteady. "He'd let his follows do whatever to them. Dolohov once told me… he told me that the muggle girls aren't good enough to be allowed to live, but they are good enough to rape… And that's what they did. And I had to watch. It was the worst experience of my life…"

Hermione had never seen a Malfoy look this broken – she'd never even imagined seeing it. But the look on his face, the way he kept blinking back tears, the shakiness of his hands. She hesitated for a moment, but in an attempt to comfort him, she placed her hand over his. He gripped it tight.

"And then, of course, there was you."

"Me?"

"You. You were the most intelligent, foolishly brave, incredible woman I'd ever seen. Each year you proved yourself more and more, constantly besting me, excelling… Each year it made me doubt my father's teachings more and more. The fact that you were muggleborn and were such a talented witch, clearly you deserved to be here just as much as I." He looked up at her. "You proved your goodness time and time over. To everyone, to me. When I didn't deserve it. I never deserved it. You helped save me from the Fiendfyre, you testified for me at the Ministry – "

"Draco," she interrupted gently. "I may not have liked you, in fact I resented you for quite a while, but I you didn't – you don't – deserve to die, or spend your life in Azkaban for something you clearly did not want to be a part of in the end."

Draco sighed. "That's the difference between you and me. You are good. Truly good. Everything you do is to help others. Even now, after all I've done to you, after all my _family_ has done to you, you still defend me."

Hermione looked at him. Really looked at him, for the first time in all her life. She saw a broken boy. Someone who had been just as hurt as she was. Someone who had suffered under Voldemort's hand just as she had. He was not the enemy. He never was.

Swallowing the memory of all that's happened between them, all the bad blood, she finally told him, "You can't ask me to forget all that's happened between us." Draco looked down sadly, and Hermione gripped his hand tighter. "But I can forgive you. Thank you, Draco."

Draco looked as though a mountain's weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. With a wide smile, a genuine smile.

Then they heard baby Hope's cry, signaling that the baby hadn't stayed asleep for long. Rising to his feet quickly, as if he'd been waiting for this, he said, "I'll get her. I'll take tonight's duty of waking up with the baby."

Before Hermione could say anything, he rushed into the other room to tend to their child.

Staring at him as he went, Hermione couldn't help the little flutter in her chest – a little flutter of Hope.


	4. Chapter 4: Cries in the Night

_It's hard to judge what you can't visualise  
And as the night falls and shadows creep,  
The air is silent on my street  
Lying in my bed, questions in my head  
And it's all so, so quiet_

\- "Skeletons" by Nina Nesbitt

 **-x-**

Hermione woke to the crying of a baby. For a few moments, she didn't stir, for that baby couldn't be _hers_. As the grogginess finally left her, her eyes snapped open when she finally realized that it _was_ , indeed, her baby.

She turned on the lights and went to the child's room. As soon as she entered the room, her eyes were met with a tall blond figure standing over the crib of their little girl.

Draco was reaching into the crib, enveloping the child into his arms. He looked up when he heard footsteps, and said, "I got this one, you can go back to sleep."

Hermione nodded, then headed back for her room. She wasn't used to Draco being kind to her in the slightest, but she was glad that one good thing had come from the war – many of the Death Eaters, the young ones who had only done it out of fear, had changed for the better. Hermione couldn't say that she didn't like this Draco.

She heard humming, and figured that Draco must be trying to lull the child back to sleep. She snuggled back into bed, pulling the duvet up under her chin, and fell back to sleep.

That sleep didn't go uninterrupted though.

 _In Hermione's dream, she was in Malfoy Manor, with Bellatrix Lestrange on top of her, in her hand, the terrifying knife that has been haunting Hermione since the day she got the word "Mudblood" carved into her flesh._

 _Hermione was reliving the pain, every single night. She felt the pain of the knife digging into her skin, knowing that Bellatrix could easily just kill her, but the crazed look in the woman's eyes showing that she wouldn't kill her – not yet. She wanted her to_ suffer _, wanted Hermione to scream and cry and beg for mercy, all because of her blood._

 _The tip of the knife ripped open her skin – this time different from the reoccurring nightmare, this time the knife stabbing all the way through her arm. Hermione cried out in pain, and she heard Bellatrix Lestrange's laugh of insanity. Voldemort's laughter joined, although Hermione couldn't recall him showing up in her dream. And she could hear voices, as though a hundred yards off, an echo of what she should be able to hear… could that be Draco's voice?_

 _"_ _Granger!"_

 _It sure sounded like him. His voice was calling out to her, but she couldn't hear anything, she could only scream from the horror of it all, stare at the blood pooling from her arm and surrounding her entire body like a coffin, her body soon to be bled out and her to lie dead on the marble floor –_

"Granger!" Draco's voice called from right beside her. "Hermione, wake up!"

Hermione shot up straight in her bed in a cold sweat. She was gasping for air, clutching at her nightgown as if it was the only way to keep her hold on reality. She pulled up the sleeve of her nightwear, and looked at the word carved in her arm. It was just a scar, but there was no puncture would showing that Lestrange had stabbed her. _It was just a dream… it was just a dream…_

Except it wasn't.

Draco Malfoy was standing over her bed, his eyebrows knit together with concern. "Are you all right? You were screaming something murderous, woke the baby and everything. I thought something was happening to you…"

"Oh, I woke the baby?" Hermione started to pull the covers off her body, grabbing her pink silk robe off the post on the bed. She tied it around her waist, and said, "I'll take care of her, you go back to sleep. I'm sorry for waking you."

"It was about the war, wasn't it," Draco said. It wasn't a question. He knew it was about the war. Everything was.

Hermione continued walking to the nursery, Draco following her, waiting for an answer. Finally, she answered simply, "Yes." She reached into the crib and plucked the baby up in her arms. She rocked her back and forth, making little noises to calm her down, rubbing her back soothingly.

Soon enough, the baby was lulled back to sleep, and Hermione put her back in the cradle on her stomach, tucking the sides of her pink blanket under her plump little baby body.

Draco let out a low whistle. "Wow, you're good at that," He whispered as they headed out of the nursery, closing the door half-way. They sat down on the couch, and Draco continued, "It took me way longer to get her to sleep."

Hermione blushed slightly. "I was worried I wouldn't be very good with this whole baby thing. I'm good with numbers, words… But people? Not my strongest suit, if you haven't noticed."

"Well, you're doing a better job than me so far," Draco said. "I think you'll be a great mum."

There was an awkward silence for a moment, then Hermione said, "I don't even know if I want to have kids anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"After the war… Seeing so many parents lose their kids, seeing how parents can affect the child's life and make that kid feel like they need to change, like they need to get their parents' approval, like they need to become a – " Hermione cut herself off, realizing what she was about to say. She looked at Draco with large, guilty eyes.

"A Death Eater? Yeah. But sometimes it's not just the parents' fault. Sometimes it's the kid's fault too." Draco's voice was emotionless, as if he suddenly didn't have any passion to talk anymore. "Parents can either be the best thing in your life…" His eyes flickered quickly to his arm where the Dark Mark was permanently branded onto his skin. "…Or the worst."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to – "

"It's okay. Don't say you didn't mean it, I'd rather you not lie to me. I don't like being lied to, Granger. If we're going to be friends, we can't lie to each other all the time." Draco stood up and said, "I'll be off to bed again. If the baby cries again, I'll get her. Good night."

"Dra – "

Draco had already shut his door, although Hermione suspected that he wasn't actually going back to sleep. But then again, neither was she.

 **-x-**

 **Note: Sorry this one is a bit short everyone, but the next one is going to be a lot longer and I didn't want to break them up awkwardly.**

 **Thanks so much to everyone who reads and comments, it all means a lot!**

 **\- TMR**


	5. Chapter 5: Morning Bonding

_You're never gonna love me, so what's the use?  
What's the point in playing a game you're gonna lose?  
What's the point in saying you love me like a friend?  
What's the point in saying it's never gonna end?_

\- "Lies" by Marina & The Diamonds

 **-x-**

Hermione woke up at dawn, and walked straight to Hope's cradle. She saw a familiar tall blond figure standing in the corner of the room, rocking the baby back and forth in his arms.

Draco tore his eyes away from the child, and looked up at Hermione with a slight smile. "I heard her when I walked past the room."

"How long have you been awake?" Hermione asked.

Draco shook his head. "I never went back to sleep. Tried, but I couldn't get my mind to get tired like the rest of me was."

Hermione nodded. She understood that very well. During the exhausting journey to find the horcruxes, she had always felt physically tired, but she could never get her mind to stop planning, stop worrying. She had too much anxiety and fear always rushing through her brain; she could never completely get her brain to shut up. So yes, she knew that feeling all too well.

"So we have to go back to class today, I suppose," Hermione said. "Should we switch who has her for our classes? We aren't in all the same classes."

"Well, we have parenting together–" he looked at the bundle in his arms, and smirked. "–well, I suppose that one's obvious."

Hermione smiled but rolled her eyes. "Where's your class schedule?" When Draco gestured towards the table in the front room, she retrieved it and compared it to hers. "We have potions and defense together," she informed him. "Astronomy as well."

"Well, looks like we're very much stuck with each other then." Draco cracked a smile to make sure she knew he was joking, but his eyes told a different story, one of fatigue and sadness. The bags under those silver eyes told her a dark tale of sleepless nights, wrestling with insatiable guilt that could never be overcome. The pale, hollow cheeks told her of the way he would never forgive himself, even if everyone else did, and the pain that he relives every night.

Hermione looked away from his face, trying not to get lost in him. She had enough emotional baggage of her own; she didn't need to feel sorry for Draco as well. _Although it looks like that ship has already sailed_ , her mind whispered to her.

Hermione cleared her throat. "If you don't mind, I think I'll make breakfast."

Draco rose one blond brow, questioning her statement. "You're making it? Don't we just go down to the Great Hall?"

Hermione sighed. "No, we aren't supposed to go down for breakfast and dinner in the Great Hall. We go there for lunch between classes, but other than that, we're supposed to live like a normal family, remember? Normal families cook for themselves."

Draco slowly lowered the bundled baby back into the crib, the child now completely asleep once more, her little eyelids fluttered shut. Draco said, "I've never once made food for myself. There have always been house elves to take care of it for us."

Hermione immediately snapped, "I won't have any house elves in my home! My child will know what it tastes like to have a lunch made with love, not made by a slave, I will tell you that much!"

Draco held up his hands, palms forward, giving her his surrender. She huffed and walked to the kitchen, Draco following her. Then he said delicately, "You know, it started out that's how the manor was run. The house elves feared for their lives whenever father walked into the room. But ever since father was sent to Azkaban, mother has changed things."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Your father is in Azkaban? I – I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

Draco frowned. "You were at our hearings, weren't you?"

"For a bit of it, yes. Testifying and all that, but after I made my statements, I was no longer needed. I had to get a break from seeing all the damage, I usually didn't stay much longer than I was needed."

"But it's been all over all the newspapers, how could you not know?"

"I haven't gotten any wizard newspapers since the war ended. Once it was done… All I saw on every page were new death reports, coverage of the war, people still being hunted down for it…" Hermione shuttered. "I couldn't bear to read it anymore. I got sick of seeing the same sadness over and over again."

Draco hung his head. "I am still ashamed to say that I… well, you know what I did." Draco shook away the thought, and continued, "But anyways, mother changed things. She gave the house elves clothes to wear, she freed them all. But many of them have chosen to stay. Now that mother treats them as friends instead of slaves like father did, they enjoy being at the manor. They can leave whenever they want, and some did leave quickly once freed. Mother was very touched with how many of them chose to stay and give her a chance." A slight pause, and he added, quieter, "I'm glad as well."

"Well... that is very good news." Hermione had to think of her response for a bit. She hadn't known Narcissa Malfoy was such a kind soul. Of course, she had lied to Lord Voldemort to save Harry's life, but Hermione hadn't put much thought into that. Now, she saw that Narcissa wasn't just a one-act of kindness woman. She had many sides to her, sides that clearly only Draco saw.

"I never got the chance to say thank you, by the way."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, her brows knitting together in confusion.

Draco was looking right into her eyes, full of sincerity. "I never got to thank you for testifying for me. About what happened… that day." They both knew they were referring to the day Hermione was tortured at the manor. "You could have – should have – blamed me, but you – "

"Stop." Hermione interjected strongly. He looked shocked that she had stopped him. "You didn't do anything wrong. Bellatrix was a psychopath and she likely would have killed you if you'd tried to intervene. I simply told the court the truth. You didn't give us away at the manor, you didn't do anything to hurt us. Please, let's just drop it."

"Okay," he responded, his voice almost a whisper. He cleared his throat. "Right, so, how do you cook?"

Hermione gave him a sly smile. "Get ready, Malfoy, cooking can be a bit difficult. Let's start with something simple. Eggs."

Malfoy frowned. "Like… using that thing?" He gestured wildly to the stove, clearly not believing it could do anything.

"Oh, Godric, what have I gotten myself into?"

 **-o-**

The pair was off to their parenting class, Hermione carrying the bundle that was Hope in her arms. Draco was telling bad jokes that he had learned from a Muggle joke book, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh with how entertaining he found them to be.

"Where did you get this joke book from? It's awful!" Hermione teased him.

Draco mocked hurt. "Miss Granger, I got it from my Muggle Studies class!"

Hermione stopped walking for a moment. "You're taking Muggle Studies?"

"Yes. I just said that, didn't I?" Draco looked perplexed. "My mother and I agreed that it would be a good idea for me to learn about more Muggle things, to understand how they work and such."

"I suppose you haven't gotten to learning about cooking then?" Hermione asked teasingly, nudging him with her elbow.

"Hey, I didn't even set anything on fire!" Draco told her.

"Yes, but you managed to turn the scrambled eggs black all the way through."

"How was I supposed to know you _actually_ had to scramble them? And turn them over? And keep the heat down below the very highest notch? And not put a towel on top of the stove because it's apparently 'flammable'? You didn't do a very good job explaining eggs to me, you know."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Just admit, you're a terrible cook."

Draco looked genuinely insulted. "How dare you!"

Hermione laughed so loudly that a few people turned as they walked past in the corridor. They seemed confused by the sight of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger laughing together in the hallway – and not even laughing _at_ each other.

But, really, no one was more surprised by this fact than Hermione. She had never imagined this – this companionship that had been forged between them from the hollows of what could only ever been dreamt of a few years ago. Hermione found her eyes lingering for a little longer than necessary on Draco's chiseled jawline, or mesmerized by the way that his eyes seemed to glimmer and look like pure liquid silver when the light hit them just right. How his teeth shined so bright with he laughed and smiled, that they seemed to shine just for her. How his smile seemed to really reach his eyes when he looked down with what could only be utter wonder at their Hope. And how when he looked at her… it felt like it was just the two of them…

But then Hermione was always snapped back into reality. She would always force herself to look away. She was imagining things that weren't there, that's what she always told herself.

"Draco! Oi, Draco!"

He turned his head and saw Blaise jogging towards him. Blaise looked anxious, and that made Draco worry a bit.

Draco and Hermione had arrived just outside of the Parenting 101 classroom, Draco turned and said to Hermione, "How about you take Hope in the classroom? I think Blaise would like to talk to me in private."

Hermione nodded and walked into the classroom. Draco saw her walked straight over to Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. He watched her walk as she went, letting out a slight sigh when she was gone.

"Mate, you have to tell her," Blaise said, suddenly beside him. "You can't keep on doing this to her. It's not fair to either of you."

Draco immediately panicked at the mention of his secret. "I can't!" He hissed. "Not yet! We are finally beginning to be – well… friends, I think. I hope at least. She's forgiven me. I can't ruin it yet. I will tell her, but not now." Draco looked at Blaise pleadingly. "Blaise, I ask you this as my best friend – you can't tell anyone. Please, this has to be just us that knows this for now."

Blaise let out a long, defeated sigh, and shook his head. "Fine. Fine, Draco. But you better tell her. Because if she finds out before you tell her – well, it's safe to say that there will be no forgiveness this time."

Then Blaise walked away from his best friend, and into the Parenting classroom, letting Draco recollect his thoughts for a moment before joining the class as well.

McGonagall began swiftly once the class was gathered. "Now, who here had to feed the baby last night?"

Every single hand was raised except hers, Hermione realized. She looked down at Hope with worried eyes, then at Draco, who recognized the look and whispered to her, "I took care of it last night." She nodded and mouthed her thanks, but she felt a bit guilty. She had totally forgotten about how often babies ate.

"This is normal. Babies at this age tend to have a bottle about every three or four hours. I hope everyone found the baby formula alright in their rooms and didn't have much trouble heating it up. Can anyone tell me where you test the formula to gage its temperature? Zabini?"

Blaise clearly did not expect to be called on. "Uh… on the baby?"

McGonagall huffed, then called on a Hufflepuff student who had her hand raised. "You test it on the inside of your wrist."

"Excellent, Miss Bones. Five points to Hufflepuff." McGonagall continued, "Does anyone know what the most basic things you check for when a baby starts to cry, seemingly out of nowhere?"

A Ravenclaw boy raised his hand and was called upon. "You check their diaper, if they're hungry, if they need to burp, or if they're tired."

"Very good, Mister Rogers. Five points to Ravenclaw. But remember, sometimes a baby will cry just because they wish to be held. Who here fed and burped the child yesterday?" When she saw mostly women raising their hands, she tutted. "Boys, I know children may not be the most interesting as of your current stage in life, but this is a shared responsibility, and you must do your half of the child rearing. Now, whoever did not do it yesterday, try it now." She waved her wand and bottles and rags appeared in front of each pair of students.

Hermione cleared her throat and handed Hope to Draco as she reached for the bottle. A spell was written on the bottle on a piece of parchment, presumably the spell to heat it up. She said it, and tested it on her wrist, before taking a deep breath. Draco put Hope back in her arms and she held the bottle over the baby's mouth. Hope fidgeted, fussing slightly and pushing the bottle away with her tiny hands. Hermione sighed. "She isn't hungry."

"Yes she is, it's morning. Everyone's hungry in the morning. May I?" When Hermione nodded, Draco took Hope into his arms and took the bottle, holding it for Hope. Draco made a few goofy noises she never would've imagined him making before, and Hope smiled and began to drink the bottle. Draco looked up and saw Hermione staring at him, open mouthed. "It took me all night to figure that out. She likes it to be a game or else she'll fuss."

Hermione groaned. "I can't even feed my child."

"Well, you get her to sleep really quickly," Draco reminded her. "Babies are finicky little things. I know that, and I've never even held a baby before this class."

Hermione shrugged. "I suppose."

Then watched Hope eat in silence for a bit, and when she was done, Draco held her aloft. "Do you want to try to burp her?" Hermione nodded. She put the burp rag over her shoulder and held Hope close in the same manner, patting on her back for what seemed like quite a while. Eventually, Hope did burp and Hermione felt like she had finally accomplished something.

The rest of the class went by smoothly with McGonagall giving the class instructions on other things they needed to do to care for the babies, along with giving them a few things to prepare them for the speeded growth of the children. Hermione and Draco whispered together every so often, and Hermione couldn't stop the blush that came to her cheeks each time he did.

 **-x-**

 **Note: So I'm not going to put in every baby milestone and every time Draco and Hermione have to change the baby's diaper or feed it or anything, because that would take forever. I'm a college student, I've never had a baby, and although I do know a bit about babies, I am nowhere near an expert. Most of these things I googled or asked a friend who is a parent. If I've gotten any information wrong in this or the following chapters, please let me know!**

 **Thank you, hope you all are enjoying the story!**

 **-TMR**


	6. Chapter 6: Biggest Fears

_Someone I just invented, who I really am and who I've become.  
And now I do want you to know I hold you up above everyone.  
And now I do want you to know I think you'd be good to me  
And I'd be so good to you._

\- "Good To You" by Marianas Trench

 **-x-**

Hermione and Draco had met up after class, and Draco had even walked her to her History of Magic class before he headed off to Muggle Studies. Hermione was uncovering more and more about Draco as they began to actually open up to each other, discussing their favorite things on their walks about the castle in between classes.

Hermione had found out that Draco's favorite food was lobster and butter, and that his favorite color was green. ("And not a dull grass green," Draco had said, "lime green.") She also learned that he wanted to become an Auror, but he didn't think that he would be accepted into the Auror program because of his Death Eater past.

"I'm just – I mean, I suspect that they won't want me," Draco said, correcting himself, looking at his feet as they walked to the Great Hall. Hermione knew that he was about to say 'afraid', but Draco clearly had problems with admitting feelings and weaknesses. Maybe she would be able to get him to open up with that someday.

"Draco, if you prove how much you have changed, they won't care about what you've done in the past," Hermione said, holding Hope close to her chest, the baby gurgling happily in her arms. She met his gaze. She almost lost her breath when she looked into his eyes. She would never get over the brilliant silver color of his eyes; so beautiful, so cold and aloof, so mysterious.

Draco broke eye-contact with her and cleared his throat. "I suppose that's all I can hope for." They arrived at the entrance to the Great Hall. "Do you want to take Hope, or shall I?"

"I'll take her," Hermione told him.

Draco parted, giving her a slight grin, and Hermione rushed to the Gryffindor table. She sat down beside Harry, waved her wand, and a bottle appeared on her plate. As she situated Hope in her arms and tickled the baby a bit to make her laugh, the baby began to eat happily. Hermione looked across the table at Ron, spotting the red-haired little girl Ron held. "So, you're trying to take care of one all on your own?"

Ron grumbled an answer, and Hermione ignored him, rolling her eyes. She turned to Harry and the baby boy with raven hair that matched his father's, and his grandfather's before him. "Aw, Harry, he's an angel!" Hermione cooed as she looked at the baby's light blue eyes that he must have gotten from his mother.

Harry smiled down at the baby in his arms. "Isn't he? He's gonna be a babe-magnet when he gets older!"

Ginny giggled and nudged Harry gently with her elbow. "Come on now, he's not more than three months old and you're already planning his entire future! What if he likes boys instead?"

Harry sighed. "Well, he's going to be a magnet for all genders then. I mean, look at him! I can already tell he's gonna have your looks, Gin."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh, I see, trying to win me over."

Harry frowned. "I had assumed I'd already won."

"How so?" Ginny asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Harry snuggled her closer and whispered, "I have you." He kissed her nose, and Ginny held the baby closer to her chest.

Hermione felt a tug at her heart. She was so envious of their love. She couldn't help but think that if it had worked out with Ron, maybe they could be as happy as Harry and Ginny. But, as she looked at Ron now, angrily eating a chicken leg and holding a red-haired baby, she knew that it just wasn't meant to be. She and Ron weren't meant to be together, and they both knew it. To wish for it to happen again would only result in both of them being miserable.

After Hermione had eaten and gotten Hope all fed and happy, Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned, and a smile slid across her lips. "Oh, hi, Draco. What brings you over to the Gryffindor table?" She asked, looking at her friends, who seemed utterly confused (as well as any other student she caught the eye of).

Draco cleared his throat. "If you are done eating, I was wondering if I could escort you and our offspring to Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Hermione couldn't help but smile. She made eye contact with Ginny and Harry beside her, not daring to look back at Ron. "Of course. Give me a minute, I'll meet you by the doors."

Draco began to walk out, and Hermione turned back to the table, her cheeks pink. She waved her wand and the high chair disappeared. She finally looked up at her friends. Ron's eyes were wide, his jaw dropped, Ginny and Harry looking shocked as well. "What?" She asked, trying to act ordinary.

"Well, you just… Draco Malfoy… he's acting like… like you're _friends_ ," Ginny began, choosing her words carefully.

"Well, we are, I suppose. We've decided to try our best. He has made his apologies, and we're going to be living together for a whole school year, we're just trying to make it as nice as possible," Hermione answered as simply as she could. Ron's mouth was still open, his eyes bugging out at her. "Close your mouth, Ronald, I can see your food!" Hermione snapped.

Ron's jaw clamped shut, but his eyes remained wide.

"Well… that's… nice," Ginny responded, tip-toeing about her words. She turned to Harry, as if asking him for his input.

Harry shrugged his shoulders, and said to Hermione, "I think it's nice. We've all got regrets after the war." He fixed Ron with an even look. "And I, for one, would be glad to finally bury the hatchet with Malfoy. I'm happy you are getting along, Hermione."

Hermione grinned wide. If she had Harry's support, soon her friends' would follow. And having her best friend's support, she felt as if a weight was off her shoulders.

"Well, I should be off, see you all in class," Hermione said, standing up, Hope in her arms.

As she approached Draco, she noticed that when he saw her coming, he seemed to stand straighter and push his shoulders back more. This only made her blush even more furiously.

"So what do you think about this new teacher? Do you think he's going to be any good?" Draco asked as they started off for their classroom.

Hermione recalled the new professor that they all had been introduced to at the feast when they had first arrived for Hogwarts this year. Elphias Doge was an old school friend of Dumbledore's, and Professor McGonagall had called upon him to come teach.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure, I just hope the curse of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers is gone. He seems very kind."

"I hope so as well," Draco chimed in.

As they arrived in class, they found that they were one of the first to arrive. They chatted for a short while as all the other students began to finally gather in the classroom, until finally everyone was there. They waited for a time, until the professor they all were excited to learn from strode through the door.

Professor Doge was a short, old thing with a wickedly long gray and black beard, but just like Professor Dumbledore always did, he absolutely exuded power.

"Hello, class, I suppose you're here for me to teach you, yes?" Doge said, his voice anything but feeble.

Half the class nodded, and he pipped, "Oh, good gracious, no! You are wrong! I'm afraid I'm not planning on teaching you all too much. After all, you are warriors who just got back from battle, are you not? So, you are actually going to learn from each other more than from me. Toss out those books you were assigned that Professor McGonagall told you that you need, we won't be using those!"

Some students eagerly tossed the books behind them, and Hermione heard a shriek as a book hit a girl after a boy who tossed his book behind his shoulder and hit her in the face.

"Now, the biggest part of understanding the enemy, is understanding yourself," Professor Doge began. "The enemy projects themselves as never having any fear, but we all know that even the greatest villains have their weaknesses. I'm sure you all have discovered that from your past year's experiences with Tom Riddle, and his alter ego that he liked to portray himself as." The class was silent, listening to his every word. It was no wonder that he was an old friend of their great past Headmaster's, he was both brilliant and confusing, just like Dumbledore was.

"Before we actually begin…" Doge waved his wand, and a few dozen cradles appeared at the side of the room. "Put the little poppets to sleep. We can't fight evil holding children, you know."

After the students had put their temporary children in the little nursery section, Doge began speaking again. "So we are going to discuss and experiment on our own fears today. I hear that you have dealt with boggarts already, correct? And you know the spell to be rid of them?" When the class nodded, he chuckled lightly. "Well then, go over to that wardrobe! Form a nice line, prepare for the worst, just as you always should!"

As the students rose from their seats, wands at the ready, they formed a line in front of the boggart in the wardrobe. A student bravely went forward and swung the doors of the wardrobe open, and stumbled back as the boggart leapt forward. The boggart was in the form of a creature Hermione remembered from the war, a vampiric-looking thing that clawed its way across the ground. The student shouted proudly, "Riddikulus!"

The creature was suddenly declawed and couldn't move. The female student laughed, and let the next student take her place.

The boggart took shape of a girl unfamiliar to Hermione laying on the ground, bleeding. The green-tied boy stumbled back with a gasp. A voice from behind Hermione and Draco hollered, "You can do it, Thomas!"

The boy's voice shook as he finally said, "R-Riddikulus!"

The girl gained angel wings, and flew up to the rafters.

More and more people went, facing their fears, many of them taking form of death or a fearsome thing they faced during the war. The war had clearly taken its toll on everyone, for almost everyone's fear that changed.

Finally, it was Hermione's turn.

She took a deep breath, not completely sure of what her deepest fear would end up being. So many frightful things had happened to her over the past year that she would give anything to forget…

She took a few brave steps forward, and the boggart transformed into a figure that Hermione saw every single time she slept, in her worst nightmares – Bellatrix Lestrange.

Hermione gasped in shock, and stumbled back, clutching her wand, horrified.

"Oh, so the little mudblood is going to fight me?" The faux Bellatrix cooed mockingly, getting closer to Hermione, making her step back more in fear. "You're not even a real witch, you're just a little fake! You're a mudblood little girl, and you can't beat me!"

Hermione felt someone grab her arm and step in front of her. She saw the white-blond hair of Draco standing in front of her.

The boggart changed, and it transformed into the mirror image of Draco with longer hair.

"You traitor!" Lucius Malfoy screamed at his son. "You could have been Voldemort's protégé, but you were weak, and you've failed us all! I should have cursed you harder all those times, maybe I could have cursed some courage into you! You spineless, weak – "

"RIDDIKULUS!" Draco shouted, and the image of his father faltered, but still remained as Draco walked closer to him. "RIDDIKULUS! RIDDIKULUS!" As Draco screamed the spell, the boggart Lucius Malfoy was backed farther to the wardrobe, and with a final shout, Draco slammed the wardrobe door on the boggart.

Draco gasped for breath, sweat beading on his face. He looked to see all eyes on him. The entire class, Professor Dodge, Hermione, even all the babies – completely and utterly silent.

Draco refused to meet Hermione's gaze as he said, "Take Hope with you the rest of the day. I need to a break…"

Hermione watched as Draco rushed out of the room, Professor Doge saying behind her, "Well, I think that's enough for today, why don't you all go and have some free time... And, Miss Granger?"

Hermione turned, and saw Doge's sad eyes. "Go after him. I'll watch the babe."

Hermione nodded and scrambled out to find Draco.

 **-o-**

For years, Hermione had done her best to never think about Draco Malfoy.

To not think about the hurtful words he spewed at her, to not think about all the nights she's cried herself to sleep because she had heard him and his cronies laughing at her for everything she did – but especially to not think about how his hair looked perfect slicked back, and even more perfect tousled and loose like it is now. To not think about his intellect, and how he tried to hide his brains, even though Hermione knew that he had them.

In general, she tried to never think about him.

But as she saw him sitting on the pier over black lake, his legs pulled up as to not touch the water, she witnessed Draco Malfoy in his most vulnerable state.

She had been so busy trying to not think about him, that she didn't bother to delve herself under the surface of his porcelain-skinned mask. Now she knew, but she wished she hadn't.

She slowly walked to him, and sat down on the pier beside him. They sat in silence, until Hermione finally said, "I'm sorry."

Draco tossed a stone into the water. It landed with a small _plop_. He simply answered, "You've got nothing to be apologizing for."

"I'm sorry that you had to go through it though." Draco said nothing in response, so Hermione continued, "You didn't deserve it, Draco. You know that, right?"

Draco sighed. "I know. Now. But I didn't before. All these years, I was just a child, who thought he was a constant disappointment to his father, who he looked up to so much. Who thought he was such a disappointment that he was the reason his own father would curse him, thinking it was always his fault. All these years… I've always blamed myself."

"But not anymore?"

"There's a lot of things I blame myself for, but this?" He said softly. "No, not anymore." Draco gave Hermione a sideways look, his white-blonde hair falling into his eyes, before he turned back to stare at the water. He sucked in a deep breath. "It's so hard. Knowing you've made so many people suffer."

"Draco, you can't blame yourself for what you did during the war. We all did things we aren't proud of."

"Not you though," he told her. "What you did during the war, what you still do every day, that takes real courage. Something I really don't have."

"There's different types of courage, Draco." She placed her hand on top of his, squeezing gently. "You can never gauge the true courage of a person unless you have been in their position. We must live with the consequences of our decisions, because they have already been done. We do what we do because it seems like what we must at the time. We all have made mistakes. And in war, those mistakes can be catastrophic. But that doesn't mean you should blame yourself. You were just as much a victim as I was. You were forced to face your father and Voldemort every day you were home last year. I could never do that. That was brave."

Draco rubbed his robes where his Dark Mark was hidden. "I hated him for it, you know. My father had disappointed Him, for not getting the prophecy in the Department of Mysteries. And I was punished for it. I was sixteen when Voldemort marked me." He inhaled a shaky breath, so Hermione grasped his hand in both of hers. "Now it's over, but I still have this damned Mark. This taint of shame follows me everywhere I go – it reminds me every day what I've done, what I was too weak to stop. How am I supposed to continue on knowing what I've done? What everyone will know I've done whenever they see it?"

Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. "You do good. You prove that you aren't the same person. You keep going, prove that you're a better man than your father. You do your best to right your wrongs, and not make the same mistakes again."

Draco leaned in closer to her and quoted, "'Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?'"

Hermione looked up at him. "Was that L.M. Montgomery?"

"Yeah, _Anne of Green Gables_. I was always interested in muggle literature. Something that was also an embarrassment to my father."

"You know, Draco, our mistakes help us become who we are truly meant to become. Those mistakes pave our destiny and stack the bricks of our future. They help teach us what to never do again, they change and shape us. You shouldn't regret your mistakes, just the way you shouldn't regret your actions you made to protect yourself and your mother during the war. It isn't your fault that you were put into an impossible situation. But it will be your fault if you don't act and use those sins to help build a better you, a better world for all of us."

Draco looked down at her. "How can you be so kind? I still don't understand how you don't hate me for all I've done."

"Because I know you're different now. You've proved it."

He stared at her. She licked her lips and kept her eyes locked on his. He wanted to kiss her. He really, really wanted to. But he didn't want to taint her, didn't want to envelope her in his darkness. She was a spot of light in a bad world, he didn't want to ruin her goodness.

She didn't force him to make that decision. She leaned closer to him and gently pressed her lips against his. He responded cautiously, gently. She slowly pulled out of the kiss, blushing furiously.

Draco smirked at her slightly. "Thank you."

"For the kiss?"

"Well, I was thanking you for what you said before the kiss, but yes, thanks for the kiss as well, it was quite phenomenal." She blushed even harder, but he grasped her hand gently to show he meant it. Then he looked back down at the water and said, "We should probably get back to class. We still have to get Hope."

Hermione nodded, and stood. Draco stared at his reflection in the water for a final second, before smiling, and standing up as well.

 **-x-**

 **A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter! It's quite a bit longer than my other ones, but I figured I had to include some good old fashioned Dramione comfort in there.**

 **Also, I'm thinking of a smut scene. Lemons, no lemons? Let me know please!**

 **Thanks so much to all the readers and reviewers, it means so much to be that you all are enjoying the story so far!**

 **-TMR**


	7. Chapter 7: Up at the Stars

_Yeah I've been feeling everything  
From hate to love, from love to lust, from lust to truth  
I guess that's how I know you  
So I hold you close to help you give it up  
So kiss me like you wanna be loved_

\- "Kiss Me" by Ed Sheeran

 **-x-**

"Hermione, wake up."

Hermione rubbed her eyes, forcing her mind awake. She looked around her dark room. "Draco? What is it?"

"I want to show you something. Let's go."

Draco started for the door of their dorm, but Hermione did not move. She simply said, "We have a baby though, we can't just take off."

"I gave Hope to Blaise and Lovegood for tonight. I've planned this out already, Miss Granger," He said with a smirk.

"I just need to change quickly – "

"No, you don't, you look per– ah, you look fine," Draco blushed, then cleared his throat. "Anyways, we won't be seeing anyone, you have no one to impress. Now, shall we?"

Hermione let a curious smile slip across her face, and took his hand, which was held out for her. "Why certainly, young Mister Malfoy. Let's go."

As Draco led Hermione by the hand down the hall for all Slytherin-dormed parents, they rounded a corner, and approached a long set of spiral steps going up. They scurried up the stairs, Hermione giggling to herself as she asked, "Where are we going?"

Draco looked back at her and smirked. "You'll see."

They continued to walk up the stairs, until finally Draco said, "Now, close your eyes."

Hermione did.

"No peeking!"

She squeezed her eyes shut tighter.

Smiling as she did so, Draco opened up a door that led to another set of smaller, wooden steps. He then walked up those, and opened up the squeaky trap door that they would go through. He said to Hermione, "Keep your eyes closed. Don't let go of my hand." He squeezed her hand for reassurance that he was leading her.

She carefully followed him up the stairs, and when she was up and standing in the tower, Draco replaced the trap door and smiled at Hermione. Then he said, "All right, open your eyes."

She let out a small gasp as she looked up at the millions of stars above them in the open tower. Hermione looked around, and realized they had gone up the many steps to get to the top tower of Hogwarts, above all of the trees, where you could see the sky.

She turned to Draco and smiled wide. "Draco, this is beautiful."

"I'm glad you think so," He said, then stepped aside to show a large collection of pillows and blankets, and producing a bottle of firewhiskey from behind his back. "Because this is our first date."

Hermione giggled. "Ah, first? You're assuming there will be more?"

"Obviously," Draco drawled, rolling his eyes. "My charms will win you over by the night's end."

"We'll see about that," Hermione told him as they laid down on the piles of blankets and pillows on their backs. They began to drink. Normally Hermione would be against it, but after surviving a war, she figured they both deserved to drink without worry.

They admired the stars together, pointing out stars that are especially bright, Draco telling her with a smirk as he pointed to one that looked like a dragon with its wings outstretched, "That's the Draconis constellation. It was named after me, you know."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ah, so it was named after you, not the other way around?"

"Correct," he pipped teasingly, already feeling the effects of the alcohol. Then he turned back, and pointed up at a star constellation of eight stars and said, "That one's my favorite though. You can see that star from the Manor as well. I even named it."

"What'd'ya call it?" Hermione asked, her voice slurring slightly.

"Bartholomew," he answered. Hermione giggled. "I used to talk to it, about feelings and stuff. I was never allowed to as a kid, feelings weren't proper to talk about, keep a stiff upper lip and all." He looked over at her. "It feels good to talk to someone besides my mother."

Hermione turned and looked at Draco, his hands locked behind his head as he looked back to stare at the sky. "Well, you can talk to me any time you like," she said with a slight smile, still looking at him.

"Do you know any constellations?" Draco asked.

Hermione then began to rattle off different patterns of the stars in the sky, gesturing to them and giving little facts. And Draco? Well, Draco could do nothing but stare at Hermione as she did so. He would never cease to be astounded by her knowledge; she was truly the brightest witch of the age – she was far too brilliant. Agonizingly so.

Hermione stopped talking for a minute, and turned so the both of them were lying on their sides to face each other. Hermione's shy smile on her lips, that twinkle in her honey eyes, it was enough to drive Draco mad.

He looked her straight in the eyes, and said quietly, "The stars are beautiful, but not a single one of them is as bright as you."

Hermione blushed, the alcohol lowering her inhibitions slightly. "Draco – "

"You are the most beautiful woman in the world, and you will never know how much I regret ever saying anything otherwise. You drive me mad, Granger. You're the most brilliant person I have ever met."

Hermione's eyebrows knit together and she shook her head. "Draco, please, stop, you don't mean this, you're drunk."

"I mean every word of it. I have always loved you. And even though I'm drunk now, tomorrow I won't be, and I will still love you."

Hermione felt herself on the verge of tears. "Draco, please stop. This is going way too fast. We just got onto speaking terms, I can't do this so soon."

"That's okay. I'd wait forever for you. But for now, can you just look at the stars with me, Hermione?"

Laying her head on his chest, Hermione felt Draco stroke her hair mindlessly. The stars still shining bright above them, and his steady heartbeat becoming her lullaby, she slowly fell asleep, a blissful peace where only she and Draco belonged.

 **-o-**

Hermione woke up the next morning to the sun shining on her face. She blinked, her eyes finally adjusting to the brightness. Judging by the position of the sun, it was likely still quite early in the morning, it seemed just after dawn. She realized that she was still on the rooftop of the tower, Draco's arm around her, still sprawled out along the plethora of blankets and pillows.

She slowly sat up, smiling to herself. She realized that it was a Saturday, an off day, and they were free to do anything; to stay here for hours on end, in each other's arms, completely and entirely in bliss. _We could stay up here forever_ , Hermione thought to herself. Then she frowned. _No. We have Hope. We have to go get her._

She leaned over Draco, trying to force herself to wake him up – but she didn't want to. He looked so peaceful, so happy with a little smirk on his face, as if he was having a splendid dream. She couldn't stop admiring his beauty; how his eyes fluttered, his long eyelashes tickling his high cheekbones every once in a while, making his nose wiggle like a rabbit whenever he felt them brush against the tops of his cheeks…

Finally, she roused him awake, shaking him gently. "Draco," She cooed. "Wake up…"

His eyes fluttered open, and he immediately saw Hermione. He got a smile on his face so pure and happy, Hermione could hardly believe such a beautiful smile existed. Hermione told him, "I suppose we should head back then."

Draco sighed and looked back out over the horizon to the freshly risen sun. She turned back with a coy grin. "Can't we stay just a little longer?"

Draco smiled back, and laid back down onto the pile of pillows, and Hermione rested her head onto his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart. His heart – a beautiful thing, showing a life left to go, a future being built, hopes and dreams left to be pursued.

After a few moments, that blissful silence was broken, when Hermione finally began, "Draco…" She sucked in a deep breath, begging herself to find a place to begin, looking down at their feet, entangled together, instead of at his face. "Last night, I don't know if you were serious – "

"Hermione," Draco interrupted, stating simply, "My feelings for you aren't fake."

"I know – I know that now, at least," Hermione said. "I've learned so much about you these past couple of days… I know now that you would never do something so cruel… of your own intention." With her head resting comfortably on his chest, her fingers began dancing over the thin material over his toned abdomen, tracing shapes absentmindedly as she stayed lost in her thoughts.

She smiled in spite of herself. If someone had asked Hermione this time last year if she had thought she would ever be listening to Draco Malfoy's heartbeat through his shirt, the thin fabric the only thing separating her from his defined chest, she would have told them that Draco Malfoy didn't even have a heart.

 _Oh, what a foolish time_ , Hermione thought to herself, amused at how much they had overcome in a few simple days. Years of hidden longing and curiosity, all blown away with a single breath, replaced with the happiness of friendship – or perhaps even something more.

"Hermione?" Draco murmured through barely parted lips, gazing down at her lovingly from where she lay on his chest. He continued to run his fingers through her hair, his hand lingering on her back when he finally reached the tips of that long, curly brown mane.

"Yes?" She answered, not lifting her head.

He chewed on his bottom lip, before finally spitting it out: "Do you like me?"

"Of course, I do, Draco. We're raising a child together, and you're an amazing friend, and…"

"And what?" He asked, trying to keep the begging words out of his voice, trying to not let her know how desperate he was for her answer; for her answer to be what he had longed to hear for years, even since the very day he had truly seen her…

Hermione lifted her head and met his eyes. "And maybe one day, I can say that I love you, too."

Draco hadn't even expected that much; Hermione was a logical woman, and she would never say she loved someone if she wasn't sure of it.

The fact that she had told him this answer with such assurance – as though she indeed expected that one day, they would be able to say they had fallen in love with each other, irrevocably and uncontrollably and perfectly, made his entire being ache for her even more.

As they gazed into each other's eyes, there was an unspoken communication between them; a conversation saying all the words that their lips couldn't. Their eyes told a tale of lust and love and longing, of wishing and dreaming and falling. Their eyes told a story that no one but them could ever understand, unraveling a world of passion in that very moment that his gray met her brown, of silver meeting chocolate – their eyes gazing into the other's, creating a sweet metallic flavor they both ached to taste.

Slowly, as if he couldn't control it, as if it was happening of its own will, Draco began to lean closer to Hermione, just as she did as well.

As their lips were about to touch, he whispered, "Tell me if you want me to stop."

Only a second of silence, before Hermione's voice answered with one single word; one word, and that was all Draco needed:

"Don't."

With a passion and lust that could not be controlled, he kissed her.

He kissed her so hard, so lovingly, so full of want, that there were fireworks exploding under his eyelids, unstoppable and uncontrollable. This lust he felt for Hermione Granger taking over his entire body, controlling him, willing him to do everything, anything, just for a little taste of this one beautiful woman beside him.

He kissed her with such a ferocity of need that Hermione was taken aback. But she didn't fight it, and she'd be damned if she was to lie and say that she regretted a single second of it. She kissed back, wrapping her fingers into his white-blonde hair, parting her lips, getting closer, and closer, and closer… so close that it was as if their entire beings were being interlaced with each other.

Draco pulled her as close as the law of matter would provide, pulled her legs overtop of his so she was straddling him, both her hands entwined in his hair.

It was in that very moment, and looking back, Draco would be able to pinpoint it at this very second, that he imagined a future with Hermione Jean Granger. He had only been on a speaking basis with her for mere days, but he had been in love with her for so much longer than that – so, so much longer. For years and years, he lied to himself, and yet, here she was, still having so much power over him – _still making him love her even more_.

Then, Hermione broke their kiss, against everything telling her to keep kissing. She rested her forehead against his, taking a deep breath, and whispering against his still parted lips: "Yeah, I could definitely love you someday."

Draco gazed back into those eyes, and saw only love for her. Her entire being, everything she was, is, and ever will be, made him fall even harder –

And then Draco was struck with the reminder – it wouldn't last.

Soon, Hermione would find out what he had been hiding. And when she did, all that trust and care, everything that could have one day maybe evolved into love – it would all be gone. Gone like a feather blowing in the wind, irretrievable – and never coming back.

When Hermione Granger found out what Draco Malfoy was hiding – she would never forgive him.

 **-x-**

 **Note: Okay so next chapter, Draco's secret is revealed. Sorry about cutting the good stuff off at the end, but trust me, the smut is coming soon!**

 **Thanks for reading, please review!**

 **-TMR**


	8. Chapter 8: Revelations

**A/N: Hey so there was a review left by a guest about how they'd come across this story years ago; the exact same plot, the same baby named Hope, everything, and I feel the need to point out: that was me. I first released this story about four years ago back when I was about fifteen or sixteen on here as well as a website called "Quotev." It wasn't very good, and I just rediscovered the story recently because I'd been thinking about rewriting it for at least a year now. So, thank you for your concern, but it was just me from the past!**

 **Thanks so much to all the wonderful feedback I've gotten, I really appreciate it!**

 **-TMR**

 **-x-**

 _And high up above or down below_  
 _When you're too in love to let it go_  
 _But if you never try you'll never know_  
 _Just what you're worth_

\- "Fix You" by Coldplay

 **-x-**

Hermione smiled and looked up at Draco from where her head lay on his chest. "Draco? Don't you think we should go back down."

"Why? We don't have classes today," Draco said to her, rubbing her back with the hand that was wrapped around her body.

"But we don't want to be a burden for Luna and Blaise, they were nice enough to take Hope off of our hands for the night," Hermione scolded him. Draco groaned loudly as his response. Hermione giggled and said, "Come on, now, let's go!"

As Hermione tried to get up, Draco wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her back down, and she fell down next to him, collapsing in a heap onto the pillows and blankets.

Hermione tried to be mad as she sat up onto her knees and put her hands on her waist, pouting. "Draco, we need to go back down to our room and get Hope."

"But I don't want to," Draco whined, sitting up as well. He sat behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder. He purred in her ear, "I want to stay here, with you. Just us. Forever."

Hermione shivered. "Draco, come on now. You know that we can't – " As he began to place delicate kisses over her collarbone and neck, she struggled to find her words. " – we can't just – we can't – " She let out a quiet moan, and grabbed Draco's face with one hand, kissing his lips hard.

They heard the wooden trapdoor squeak open, then heard a squeal from behind them. They turned and saw a couple of third-years girls who had surely come up to see the sunrise this morning.

Hermione cleared her throat and said, "So, here to see the sunrise?"

The cluster of Slytherin and Ravenclaw girls nodded their heads, their eyes glancing back at Draco, obviously distracted seeing a shirtless Draco Malfoy.

"It's a beautiful sunrise, but not nearly as beautiful as you," Draco whispered in Hermione's ear.

Hermione giggled, then composed herself and said, "Uh, sorry, girls. We'll be down soon. But there's another tower right next to this, and it's even taller, so you'll be able to see the sunrise even better."

The girls nodded and hurriedly scurried back down the stairs, closing the trapdoor and giggling all the way.

"Looks like our secret is out," Draco murmured into her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her even tighter. "You're mine."

Hermione kissed him once more, and said, "How do you know those girls will tell anyone?"

Draco rolled his eyes before grinning at her. "Slytherins love some good gossip. It'll be all over the common room by the time we get back down there." He smirked and said, "So in that case…" He grabbed her around the middle and threw her down next to her on the pillows, and attacking her with tickles, making her laugh the most beautiful and melodious laugh he'd ever had the pleasure to hear.

 **-o-**

After they'd finally retired from the tower and gone back down to the dungeons, Draco left to go get Hope, and Hermione decided to read by the fireplace in the Slytherin common room. It was ordinary for her to read by the fireplace up in the Gryffindor tower, and she'd found no reason to change her routine now. Although it was actually much more amenable than she'd suspected it to be. There had not been any hurtful slurs thrown at her, there were some murmurs, but nothing wildly insulting.

"Hermione, right?"

She looked up and saw a Slytherin girl looking down at her. The girl had wavy auburn hair and green-grey eyes. She was smiling awkwardly, as if introducing herself as new territory.

Hermione smiled. "Yes. You are?"

"Daphne Greengrass," she said, sitting down in the chair opposite Hermione. Hermione wracked her brain for a minute, trying to remember who this girl had been paired with, and Theodore Nott came to mind. "Theo has the kid for the day, figured I'd come catch up with some friends out in the common room. A bit of a shock to see you here."

"How so?"

Daphne giggled. It was a very ladylike sound, everything about the girl was very prim and proper, from her giggle to the precise way she crossed her legs. "Well, you're Gryffindor's golden girl, I suppose I'm not used to seeing you down in the snake pit."

Hermione's lips turned up to reveal a slight grin. "Yes, I suppose that's to be expected. I quite like the common room though. It's a bit quieter than up in the tower, to be honest."

Daphne nodded. "I've gone to visit Pansy up there, it's so loud. How you got any studying done, I'll never know."

"You learn to block out the noise," Hermione said with a smile.

"So, has Draco been behaving?" Daphne asked with a sly smirk.

"Define 'behaving'," Hermione told her teasingly, which made Daphne laugh again. "It's been… unexpected," Hermione told her honestly. "Better than I thought it would be."

"He can be a bit of an arse sometimes, but he's a good guy underneath it all. Being raised the way he was certainly did a number on him. I was lucky enough that my father traveled far too often to really instill all that pro-Dark Lord nonsense into our heads."

Hermione nodded. She saw a set of wizard's chess in the corner of the room, and gestured to it. "Care for a round?"

Daphne grinned. "I'd be delighted!"

 **-o-**

Draco knocked on the door of Blaise and Luna's room. The door opened, and Luna stood there smiling, holding little Xenophilius in her arms. "Hello, Draco. How are you?"

Draco returned her smile and answered, "Pretty well, thanks. Where's Blaise?"

"Here!" His friend's voice answered from around the corner, his green eyes shining with happiness. In Blaise's arms was Hope, who now looked bigger than when they had given her to their friends the night before.

Draco's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the child. "Why does she look so much bigger?"

"We've had the kids for half a week now, so they're getting bigger. McGonagall says each month the kids will be a year older. The kids will be turning one in a about two weeks, you know," Luna told him, her blue eyes examining him curiously.

"Oh, right," Draco answered, sounding disappointed. "I forgot."

There was silence for a moment, then Blaise cleared his throat and said, "Luna, could you take Z into the nursery for a moment and get him fed? There's a bottle in the fridge. I would like to talk to Draco alone."

"Of course," Luna said, giving Blaise a kiss on the cheek, then departing with their child.

Draco gave Blaise a smirk. "So, you and Luna?"

Blaise grinned. "Yeah. She's bloody brilliant, honestly. A bit mad, in the best way." He gave Hope to Draco, and Draco bounced gently her to keep her in her slumber, a slight smile sliding across his lips as he held her. Blaise interrupted Draco's thoughts by saying, "That's not what I wanted to talk to you about though, and you know it."

Draco looked up at his friend and frowned. "Then what did you want to talk about?"

"Hermione. You can keep stringing her along like this. It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to her."

"I'm not doing anything to her," Draco protested loudly, then quieted himself when he remembered the sleeping child in his arms. "I just… I just want us to be friends…" Draco added quietly.

Blaise's eyes widened. "Oh sweet Salazar. You shagged her!"

Draco snorted. "Don't be vulgar. No, we didn't. We've only been on speaking terms for a few days," Draco was quiet for a moment, then said, "I just… I don't want her to hate me once she knows the truth."

"Draco, you're engaged. Remember Astoria?" Blaise reminded him. "You can't risk liking Hermione Granger."

"What if I already do, Blaise?" Draco snapped. "What if I already like her? What then?"

Blaise was silent. "You can't, Draco. You can't fall in love with her. I know you started having a crush on her back in third year for a while, but your parents arranged for you to be married years ago. You can't betray that."

"My father is already in Azkaban, what does it matter if I betray what he so desperately wants for me?" Draco demanded.

"Think about your mother, Draco."

Draco frowned. Throughout all his life, his mother had always loved him and supported him, done him no wrong, and protected him from his father as much as she could. He loved his mother dearly, and knew in his heart that he couldn't do anything that would hurt or betray her.

Draco sighed. "You think I don't know that what I'm doing is wrong, Blaise? I know. But I can't help it."

"Can't _help it_?" Blaise repeated. "It's gonna be hard since you are doing the parenting with her, but it's not that hard to just not date her or romance her!"

"No, Blaise," Draco said, shaking his head and sighing. He looked down at the child in his arms, who had Hermione's lips and long eyelashes. He looked back up at Blaise and said, "It's hard to stop myself from falling in love with her, because I already have."

They were silent for a moment, just looking at each other. Blaise didn't look shocked, he just looked disappointed. As though he'd expected it to happen, but he hadn't wanted it to. Only a knock on the door drew their attention. Blaise answered it and greeted their friend. "Ah, Theo. Need something?"

Theo was carrying a small dark-haired, green-eyed boy in his arms. "So," he began, eying his two friends and former roommates. "Does anyone care to tell me why my fiancée is playing chess with the Gryffindor girl?"

"There's quite a few Gryffindor girls, Theo, you'll have to be more specific," Blaise told him teasingly. They all knew exactly which girl they were talking about.

Theo glared. "Not _a_ Gryffindor girl, _the_ Gryffindor girl. Granger and Daphne have been talking and playing for a few hours. Not sure what they're gossiping about, but it must be interesting, Daph stuck me with the kid all afternoon so she and Granger could continue to have their 'girl time,' whatever that is. Apparently Daphne invited Granger to Pansy's little slumber party tonight."

Draco groaned and cursed under his breath. "So, the girl I've known since we were in nappies, the girl I've dated, and Hermione are all going to be together tonight?"

Blaise burst out laughing. He laughed so hard he had a stitch in his chest and actually teared up. "Oh – oh man. I do not envy you."

Theo let out a low whistle. "If I were you, I'd just hope Pansy doesn't give away all your secrets."

Draco sighed. "When has Pansy ever been known for keeping her damn mouth shut?"

Theo smirked. "Ah, you're right. You should probably go pray then."

"Pray about what?"

Theo turned to leave the room. "That Granger isn't as vindictive as Pansy, otherwise you're in for a long year."


	9. Chapter 9: Slytherin Bonding

**A/N: Sorry I've been a bit MIA, I was on vacation! And this is just a fun chapter that I wanted to do to humanize and give the Slytherins some time. It was a whole lot of fun to write, I've really been enjoying making the characters my own a bit. (FYI: Sex is discussed in this chapter.)**

 **Hope you all like it, reviews are greatly appreciated!**

 **-TMR**

 **-x-**

 _Everybody wants a devil_  
 _Everybody wants it white and black_  
 _Everybody thinks they're angels_  
 _They got the answers we just wish we had_  
 _But we don't know_

\- "Here We Go" by Extreme Music

 **-x-**

Harry looked at Ron as they stood outside Blaise Zabini and Luna's room. "Are you sure we should do this?" He asked his best mate.

Ron sighed as he held a child in each arm. "Definitely not."

Harry knocked on the door, and Zabini opened it. "Welcome, Gryffindors. Come on in."

Harry held James tighter in his arms and entered the room. He saw familiar faces. Three Slytherins – Malfoy, Zabini, Nott – and one Hufflepuff. "Justin?" Harry asked. "What are you doing here?"

Justin Finch-Fletchley gulped. "I'm, ah, paired with Tracey Davis. She's at the girls' sleepover as well. Did you get sent here by your women?"

Ron snorted. "You could say that. I got kicked out and practically ordered down here." Ron placed the two redhaired babes on the floor where the other four children were playing, and Harry followed suit. They all sat down, looking at each other uncomfortably. Although they knew the Slytherins weren't on Voldemort's side in the end, there was still plenty of house rivalry and animosity from previous years that hadn't been hashed out. But, in true boyish fashion, they all decided to just ignore the problem.

The group of six were silent for the majority of the time, feeding and rocking their respective infants sleep.

"So," Blaise said, breaking the silence once all the tykes were asleep. "Wonder what the girls are up to."

Harry snorted. "What aren't they up to?"

Blaise smirked. "Why, Potter, do you know what's on their itinerary tonight?"

Harry paled. "Well, I do know what girls tend to do during sleepovers."

All the boys looked interesting. Clearly they had no clue what would be going on upstairs. Theo sat forward in his seat, and all the men stopped paying attention to the infants on the carpet. "Do tell."

Harry tugged on his collar. "Well, erm… from what Ginny and Hermione have told me, girls do some, erm, typical sleepover things."

"Like what?" Draco pried. He appeared to Harry to be very intrigued, although he was trying to keep his face impassive.

"Well, they do each other's hair and nails. They do facials – "

"They what?!" Theodore exclaimed.

"Oh, erm, well it's kind of when you put some recipe of goop on your face that you can buy or make that will make your skin look nice, from what I've heard." Theo immediately became less stressed. "But the thing is – they, er… They talk."

"So what?" Malfoy drawled. "People talk all the time."

"Well, girls especially tend to tell secrets, details at these sleepovers. They tend to talk about boys… sex… and they don't leave much out for their friends. And, well, since we're the ones spending a lot of time with the girls up there… it stands to reason..."

"They're talking about us," Draco finished, his steel eyes wide in horror.

"Most likely," Harry told them.

The six boys looked terrified.

"I expected that, to be honest," Ron said, looking slightly smug. "Which is why I planned ahead." He reached into his pack and pulled out a rock.

"A rock?" Theo scoffed as he rocked his son to sleep in his cot (seven lined up in the middle of the room).

"I planted a pair of extendable ears and extendable eyes in their room," Ron began, then turned red as the boys gawked at him. "I, erm, not for any weird purpose, I just – wanted to – uh – "

"You know, Weasley, that may be the smartest thing you've ever done," Draco told him with a smirk. "How does it work?"

 **-o-**

Hermione walked up to the Gryffindor tower, and she smiled as she entered the common room. It felt just like coming home. She looked at the doors of the sixth and seventh year students, searching for the one with Parkinson's name on it. She knocked on the door wearily, clutching her bag to her chest tightly.

Daphne opened the door and smiled. "You came!" She sounded as if she was excited, but surprised. Hermione was a bit surprised herself she decided to show.

Daphne ushered her in. She was wearing a pale pink night dress that even Hermione could admit was quite sexy, and her hair was long and loose. Hermione looked at the other girls and let out a sigh of relief. "Ginny, Luna! What are you doing here?"

Ginny shrugged. "Luna got invited by Davis, then Luna invited me." Luna waved at Hermione, sitting in a long flowy white nightgown. Ginny tugged on the sleeve of her gold flannel pajamas, looking at the girl across from them awkwardly.

Hermione looked over at a girl with medium length dirty blonde hair, who was wearing a matching set of a tank top and shorts silk pajamas in army green. Hermione recognized her somewhat, and knew her to be a Slytherin girl in her year. Tracey Davis, Hermione remembered her name to be. The girl smiled shyly. "Hi, I'm Tracey."

Hermione nodded and sat down beside Ginny, who had Luna on her other side discussing something in a magazine with Daphne, in front of Tracey. "So," Hermione began. "Why'd you invite Luna exactly?" Hermione wondered.

"Oh, Blaise and I have known each other for years, I figured Luna might want to come. It's the right thing to at least extend an invitation," Tracey told her matter-of-factly.

Pansy came out from a back room with a stack of _Witch Weekly_ 's and some chocolate bars. She stopped slightly at seeing Hermione. "Oh, Granger – hi."

Hermione examined her. Her black hair that fell to her shoulders was braided into two on either side of her head, and she was wearing a nightdress similar to Daphne's but in red. "Hi, Parkinson."

Pansy set everything down on the table in front of where all the girls sat on the floor of the front room. Pansy began flipping through a magazine. Everything was quiet except a bit of chatter, and Ginny decided to break the silence: "Alright, I guess I'll ask then: Why are you Slytherins being nice to us?"

Pansy sighed and closed the magazine, pushing it away. Pansy began by saying, "We've all just barely survived a war, Weasley. At a place we all call home. Maybe you were lucky enough to not have to meet _him_ face to face before the final battle, but we all did."

"He was in our homes, trying – succeeding in some cases – to recruit us," Daphne added. "That's not something I would wish on anyone – ever. We were just kids, all of us were." Daphne shuttered. "Maybe we were raised to believe certain things…" her eyes flickered towards Hermione, before continuing, "We don't adhere to those beliefs anymore. At least, none of the ones of us that are still sane do. Maybe we used to think we were better than other magical folks, but after seeing people die… seeing what he did to people, magical or not… we could never support anything like that. Not anymore. Never again."

"We're just trying to bury the bad blood between us all. We were foolish kids who said foolish things," Pansy added, in a voice softer that any of them had ever heard. "We just want to go on living as best we can after everything we saw."

Luna placed a hand over Pansy's and gave her a serene smile. "I believe that was an apology. We accept."

Ginny nodded, albeit a bit begrudgingly, in agreement. Pansy turned to Hermione and sucked in a deep breath, as though preparing for something heinous. "Granger – I … We owe you a lot for keeping Potter alive long enough to end the war. And I was the worst to you of … well, I was just disgraceful. I…" She seemed to be choking on her words. "I am s-sorry."

The three Slytherin girls then looked at Hermione expectantly, almost as though they thought she wouldn't acknowledge or forgive them.

"It seems as though you Slytherins have a theme," Hermione began. "Draco said a lot of the same thing." She smiled slightly. "And I forgave him, too."

Pansy cracked a smile. It made her look very pretty, especially opposed to the sneer she was used to seeing.

Everyone was quiet for a bit, before Daphne commanded with a clap, "Okay, enough house talk!" She turned to Luna and touched the ends of her hair that stopped just at her hips. "Can I braid your hair, Luna?"

Luna nodded and opened a magazine, allowing Daphne to turn her so she could sit behind her and work on separating and braiding her hair. Hermione turned to Ginny. "So, how are things with Harry going?"

 **-o-**

Ron tapped the rock and said a spell, and a light beamed out of it. They realized it was a view of the girls in Ron and Pansy's dorm appearing in a projection. "Got it new and improved from Fred and George in sixth year," Ron said, sounding down as he mentioned his fallen brother. "We, uh, we're watching them exactly as they are, in real time. They don't know we're able to see them… at least I'm pretty sure."

"I didn't expect such sneakiness from you, Ron," Justin told him, sounding slightly in awe.

Ron gave a small smile. "Well, I am the younger brother of the greatest pranksters ever to be admitted to Hogwarts."

"They really were geniuses. Chaos-creating geniuses," Draco said with praise.

The boys all nodded in agreement. It was a fact.

Harry cleared his throat. "Well, let's just… watch and listen, I guess."

Ron nodded, eager to back away from the topic, and tapped the rock a few times, and suddenly they could hear what was being said in the room. Pansy and Tracey were reading magazines, and Daphne was brushing and braiding Luna's hair. Ginny and Hermione were talking, and all six girls were sitting quite close together so they could all talk.

"…How are things with Harry going?" Hermione asked Ginny.

Harry blushed at the mention of his name being discussed at their sleepover.

Ginny opened her mouth to say something, and Pansy interrupted, "How about you tell us how the savior of the Wizarding World is in bed, eh, Weasley?"

The boys turned red, Ron looking a bit angry with Harry looking mortified, although Blaise looked like he was having a ball. He laughed.

Daphne giggled on the projection, "Pans, just because you tell everyone of your sexual exploits doesn't mean other girls do!"

Pansy hushed her friend. "Come on, we're all wondering it!"

"I wasn't," Hermione grumbled. "But now I've got the image of two of my best friends shagging, so thanks for that, Parkinson."

"Anytime," Pansy pipped, ignoring the sarcasm dripping from her voice. "So, Weasley – er, Ginny, are you going to tell us?"

"Harry has always wanted a private life, I think I can at least give him that after all he's been through by not discussing this," Ginny stated firmly. The rest of the girls nodded in understanding, and Harry felt himself breathe out in relief.

"Slept with Weasley yet, Pans?" Tracey asked, sounding almost bored.

"I don't sleep with everyone, you know!" Pansy told her indignantly. Daphne snorted when she heard this. "Shut up!" Pansy almost whined. She sighed. "He's nice enough, though, for your information. We've learned to stop hating each other – most of the time."

"Sounds like love," Daphne teased.

Ron blushed dark red and avoided eye contact with all the other boys.

"Hermione, you must know better than Tracey even," Daphne began. "Is it true that compared to the muggle world, our world's sex is boring?"

Hermione almost snorted. "Definitely. The wizarding world is made up of a bunch of prudes, to be honest. They seem to see sex as evil. Our world is far more conservative than the muggle world in regards to its views on sex – and even the muggle world is still a bit repressive about it."

"What do you mean?" Luna asked as Daphne continued to braid her long hair. "What do muggles have that we don't?"

The four pureblooded men in the room became intensely interested in the topic, while Justin and Harry looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Well, for one thing, muggles have sex shops," Hermione told them in the same tone she used when she tutored and lectured people. "Stores where you can buy all sorts of things to use during sex."

"Like what?" Ginny asked, tossing the magazine she'd been reading away from her, it completely forgone in favor of the topic at hand.

"There's hundreds of thousands of options, really. There's so many different things you can explore in sex, and the muggle world really allows you to see it all. There's porn – um, that's basically a recording of people having sex that you can purchase and watch – and there's countless toys you can use during it as well – rope, handcuffs, lingerie, you name it, they've probably got it."

"What is lingerie?" Pansy asked, very interested.

"It's basically an outfit that shows off a lot of your body that you wear before sex to get your partner aroused," Hermione said simply.

Pansy let out a loud laugh. "And all this time, we thought Granger was a prudish bookworm!"

Hermione huffed. "I am a liberated woman who survived a war – I can talk about sex without a problem, thank you."

Draco cleared his throat slightly. "Is it warm in here?" The boys agreed, although they damn well knew the Slytherin dorms were freezing, but no one was going to admit they were embarrassed and aroused at the girls' topic at hand. Their eyes were all glued to the projection, and they were lucky all the babies were still sleeping.

"How do you know all this?" Pansy asked, an eyebrow cocked.

Hermione shrugged. "I'm not nearly as virginal as everyone believes me to be. I know how the real world works."

Ginny hit Hermione on the arm. "You had sex and didn't tell me?!" Ginny looked and sounded positively offended.

"Well, no." Hermione blushed furiously.

"Wait," Daphne stopped braiding Luna's hair and looked up. "You've seriously never had sex?"

"I was a bit preoccupied with making sure Harry survived every school year since we've gotten here to focus on relationships," Hermione defended indignantly.

"Knock it off, girls," Tracey said to Pansy, who looked like she was about to say something. "Hermione, there's really nothing wrong with that. Whether or not you've had sex doesn't change who you are, it's unimportant in the grand scheme of things."

"So are you waiting 'til marriage or just been busy?" Pansy asked after a moment's hesitation.

"I've never even had time to think about marriage," Hermione answered with a sigh. "Everything has been so hellish since Voldemort returned, I haven't paid it any mind. I suppose I'll know when I want to lose it when the time is right."

The girls nodded in agreement. The boys were wrapped up in the projection, and only Blaise noticed that Draco looked positively green. He nudged his friend to get him out of the trance he seemed to be in, and Draco stopped staring for a second to acknowledge Blaise's worried look, before returning to watch the scene unfold.

"So what do you girls usually do at your sleepovers?" Luna asked the three Slytherin girls in that familiar dreamy voice of hers.

"Mostly this," Tracey answered with a shrug. She looked at a clock on the wall. "Oh, it's almost midnight already?"

Ginny giggled. "How do you suppose our boys are doing with the kids?"

"I hope they're behaving at least," Luna said.

"I'm sure the babies are behaving just fine," Hermione assured her.

"I meant that I hope the boys are behaving," Luna quipped, making the girls giggle.

Ron tapped the rock again and gulped. The six men were silent for a few moments, before Harry said, "Nothing we heard leaves this room."

They couldn't agree more.


	10. Chapter 10: Astoria Greengrass

_Everyday, new again_  
 _You gave me life, l_ _ike a medicine_  
 _A drop of love, t_ _o heal the soul_  
 _This energy, i_ _s taking hold_

\- "You're Heaven Sent" by Lee Richardson

 **-x-**

Hermione smiled as she awoke. She'd been doing that a lot lately. She supposed waking up to the angelic figure of Draco Malfoy snuggled next to you every day for the past week had that effect on any sane witch. It had been a week, and the babies had just turned six months old. Hope was sitting up on her own for three days now, and they'd been told that the babies could start talking any day now. They'd slept in a bit, and Hermione was almost aching to spell the fresh air on the fine Saturday morning.

Hermione rolled over to her side to face Draco. She looked at him for a moment. How he could look so perfect, she would never know. Ever since their tryst of secrets up in the tower a week ago, they'd only grown closer. They shared more secrets; Hermione told of her life growing up as a muggle, which Draco was fascinated by, and Draco's telling of his father's abuse and his mother's love, the one thing that had kept him afloat during his childhood.

Hermione heard Hope start to cry for attention, and slowly removed herself from the bed to go retrieve the baby girl. She smiled down at the baby, who smiled back up at her mother as she sat up in her crib. Hope's hair had grown much longer, and currently had the unruly curls of her mother. She still had her father's eyes, and Hermione had her fingers crossed that they'd stay that way forever.

She picked Hope up and moved to her the changing station. Once the tot had a fresh diaper on and a cute little pink onesie with unicorns on it to wear, Hermione held the baby on her hip. "What do you say, love? What are you thinking for breakfast?" Hermione asked the baby.

Hope gurgled in response, bouncing up and down slightly. Hermione tapped her finger on her chin. "Hmm, did I hear split peas?" The baby continued to giggle. "Split peas it is."

Hermione entered the kitchen, and set Hope down in her high-chair. She sat across from the little one and opened a jar that she'd set on the counter, and a tiny spoon. She began to make faces at Hope, and the babe happily ate the spoonfuls that her mother was giving her. "Here comes the airplane!" Hermione declared happily as she flew the spoon into her daughter's mouth, Hope giggling the whole time.

"That's not how it goes," A groggy voice said from behind her.

She turned and cocked an eyebrow at Draco. "I disagree, that is how it goes."

"No, no, let me," he said, taking the spoon from Hermione. His voice went up a pitch as he declared to Hope, "Here comes the dragon!" He made the spoon zigzag a bit (to the point where Hermione was sure he'd spilled more of the split peas on the ground than had actually gotten to Hope) before landing it into Hope's smiling mouth.

Hermione nudged him. "Well, that's not the way muggles do it."

"Well, they should do it that way," he told her teasingly. He kissed Hermione's temple and said, "What should we made for our breakfast? I was thinking we could go on a family walk around the Black Lake."

Hermione nodded. "That sounds nice. And perhaps you could try your hand at eggs again?"

Draco sighed slightly. Cooking really wasn't his thing, but he was persistent if nothing else, so he kept at it. He retrieved everything and began to cook, cracking the eggs into the skillet and starting to scramble them. Hope finished eating, and Hermione picked her up and put her down a few feet away where all her toys were – some muggle, most wizard toys, which, even Hermione had conceded to, tended to be a lot more fun than the muggle toys.

"Draco, is it on the highest notch again?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," he told her.

"It really shouldn't be, you know," she tutted him.

He sighed. "I know how to cook, Hermione!" She scoffed. "No, really, look! I'll even flip it!"

"Draco – "

He tried to flip the eggs, a very poor choice, he realized once he started, and he flipped the boiling hot eggs right onto his wrist. He shouted and dropped the skillet back onto the stove harshly, hissing through his teeth at the burn.

Hope began to cry at hearing her father's shout. Hermione quickly picked her up to calm her, holding her in the crook of her arm. "I'll go get some dittany paste, should heal the burn right up," Hermione told him. She left the room with Hope, and returned with a small jar of a thick green paste, which Draco was quick to grab and rub on his burn. He sighed at the cooling feeling as the paste went to work immediately. "You alright?" She asked him.

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine," he told her. "Maybe I don't know how to cook…"

Hermione giggled. "You don't say?" She leaned down to put Hope back on the ground, but Hope protested with a squealing cry.

Hope reached out with her tiny fist and touched Draco's wrist where he'd just been burnt. She looked up at Draco with those intelligent silver eyes and said, "Dada," with utmost confidence.

Draco was shocked. "Did you – did she – ?" He looked up at Hermione excitedly. He grabbed Hope out of Hermione's arms and twirled her around happily, making her giggle out "Dada! Dada!" even more. When he stopped spinning around the kitchen with Hope, he locked eyes with Hermione, and for as long as she lived, she knew she'd never forget that look in his eyes. She knew from the twinkle in his eyes how happy and proud he was at that moment.

 **-o-**

They walked around the Black Lake, Draco carrying Hope happily as the girl giggled and kept repeating "Dada," much to Draco's delight.

Hermione sighed. "You know, I'm beginning to feel a bit neglected," she said teasingly to her tot, tickling the baby's tummy lightly, making Hope squeal and laugh. Hermione then turned to Draco and said, "I've been invited to Pansy's sleepover again, it'll be next Saturday – supposed to turn into a bi-weekly thing. If that's fine, at least. I really hate to think of leaving you alone to take care of Hope again, but – "

"I really don't mind, Hermione," Draco interjected. "It's my friends you're trying to get along with, that's good enough for me."

Hermione paused. "So, there were no fights last weekend?"

Draco scoffed. "Please. We are no longer twelve, must I remind you."

"I'm well aware," Hermione told him, rolling her eyes. "But to be frank, I expected Ron to pick a fight, really. I should've known you all are mature enough to not fight over something as foolish as house rivalry anymore… I suppose I underestimated you all."

Draco kissed her temple. "Just a bit."

"Draco?"

They turned and saw Astoria Greengrass. Hermione wasn't well acquainted with her personally, but knew her well enough because of her newly blossoming friendship with Daphne. She really was a beautiful girl, she looked so much like her sister, Hermione observed.

"Tori," Draco greeted. He tensed up slightly.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" She turned to Hermione and smiled slightly. "Family stuff."

Hermione nodded understandingly. She took Hope from Draco's arms. "Of course, we'll go look at the Giant Squid, give you two some time." She leaned forward and kissed Draco chastely on the cheek, then headed towards the pier on the lake.

Draco led Astoria a bit further as to avoid any eavesdroppers. "What is it?" He asked tersely.

Astoria's dark eyebrows knit together. "Are you two… together?"

Draco sighed. "Tori – "

"My mother keeps sending letters asking for opinions on wedding planning, you know. She says father doesn't want to wait until I graduate to marry us. I understand this isn't an ideal situation, and I suppose I understand why you wouldn't want to marry me," Astoria began to talk faster, looking a mixture of hurt and confused. "I suppose it's not your father as well, who wouldn't fall in love with Hermione Granger? She's a hero, but I just – how… how much do you like her?"

Draco looked his longtime friend in the eyes. He'd known Daphne since they were toddlers, Astoria since she was born, and they were betrothed quite soon after. It was something they'd both accepted – until now.

"A lot, Astoria," he said woefully.

"I'm so sorry, Draco," Astoria began, her blue eyes heartbroken, before she cast her sight downward and began pulling nervously on the sleeves of her sweater. "I… there's no way my father will call it off."

Draco groaned and ran a hand through his hair, tousling it up. "You've got to understand. We never agreed to this, you can't possibly want this."

Astoria was shifting from foot to foot, looking more uncomfortable than Draco had ever seen the younger Slytherin girl appear in the years they'd known each other. "Maybe not at first… I've gotten used to the idea… we've known since we were children, I just thought… I suppose I'd assumed maybe you would be happy with me too."

"Astoria, you – "

"Just forget it," she interrupted hurriedly. "Forget I said anything." She turned and rushed back to the castle, trying to keep her composure. She would not let some boy hurt her like this – even if that boy was her betrothed.

"What was that all about?"

Draco turned to Hermione, her head cocked to the side in wonder. He shrugged, pushing thoughts of Astoria from his mind. "Business things," he told her. "Our fathers did business together quite a bit before the war, just a bit of chat now that I'm in control of it all."

Draco was ashamed with how easy it was to lie to her. He knew he was being selfish, and it wasn't fair to neither Hermione nor Astoria. But he was in far too deep now. He didn't want to hurt either of them, but it seemed he hadn't much of a choice anymore.

Hermione kissed him. "Let's just go back to the castle. I'm sure we can find something to keep us occupied," she teased with a wink.

 **-x-**

 **Note: This chapter was a bit shorter than usual, I apologize. But next chapter will be getting a bit saucy, so hopefully that will make up for it! Prepare for some lemons!**  
 **Please let me know what you think, thanks so much for reading my story, I hope you're enjoying it!**  
 **-TMR**


	11. Chapter 11: Granger Danger

**A/N: So this is my longest chapter to date, and I'm really happy with how it turned out! It might be a bit before I update again, I'm starting my third year of college soon and moving apartments, but I'll try to keep updating as much as I have the time for!**

 **Thanks so much for all the support and feedback I've gotten, it really means so much! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and the StarKid reference in the title!  
**

 **-TMR**

 **P.S.: Lemons ahead!**

 **-x-**

 _I been crawling up inside your lungs_

 _Feeling up your mind with my tongue_

 _I didn't need to know but I need to run_

 _Tonight we rock, we lock, we lunge_

\- "Deliverance" by RY X

 **-x-**

Hermione placed the sleeping figure of Hope in her crib with a smile. During the walk back to the castle from the Black Lake, Hope had fallen asleep, feeling tuckered out from the exciting afternoon. She joined Draco back in her bedroom, to find Draco laying on her bed with his eyes closed. She threw herself onto the bed with him, and looked at him. He opened his eyes and grinned. "Well, hello there," He said with a fake innocence.

Hermione kissed him softly on the lips. She pulled him closer to her, gripping at the soft fabric of his shirt –probably some expensive material, she figured– and his hands encircled her waist. He kissed her back with a sort of passion that she'd never experienced before. Their mouths danced in the same pattern, lips moving at the same rhythm, the beating of their hearts and heaving chests and gasps for air being the only sounds. Their kisses were like songs and they were the only ones who understood the lyrics.

Draco held himself up with one arm as their lips parted, and he began to flurry kisses along her neck and collarbones. Hermione threw her head back in ecstasy. What bliss, what complete and utter bliss. Slowly, surely, Draco's hands began to move up from her waist, sliding up her thin white shirt. Hermione let out a soft moan, a sound of music to Draco's ears. He pulled her closer as his hands wandered, his lips taking stride, her body pressed close to his like any space that existed between them was wasteful and needed to be disposed of.

Draco slowly lifted her shirt over her head, and he dropped it to the ground beside him. Half on top of her, half beside her, he ran his warm hands over her stomach and the cups of her bra. He began to plant kisses at the bottom of the stomach, leading up to the line of her bra. "You're so beautiful… a goddess… Merlin, I don't deserve you, Hermione…"

Hermione couldn't find the words to speak. She was too caught up in this very moment, focusing only on the sensations Draco was giving her.

As Draco began to kiss her neck again, sucking on it and nibbling lightly like it was his job, Hermione began to unbutton his shirt. She made swift work, if not slightly fumbling work, and pushed the shirt off his shoulders. He shimmied out of the arms of it and tossed it into the pile with hers.

Hermione sat up slightly and unbuttoned his slacks. She purred in his ear, "Take them off."

He complied, his eyes hazy with lust for her, as he hastily rid himself of his trousers. Hermione slowly took off her jeans, examining the way Draco was looking at her the entire time. He looked hungry, wistful. She hadn't known she could put a man in a trance like this, let alone Draco Malfoy. She felt powerful, lustful, sexy. She finished her little dance for him and was rid of her jeans, tossing them away with a flick of her ankle.

They sat on the bed in their undergarments now, panting heavily. Hermione reached up and grabbed onto Draco's shoulders. She laid back down, pulling him down with her. They never broke eye contact. Draco's silver eyes looked into hers, and he tucked a lock of her unruly brunette hair behind her ear.

She began to kiss his neck, and he let out a long moan. She felt his breath, hot and heavy on her neck, as he panted, "We shouldn't do this, Hermione… it's your first time… it should be with … with someone else… someone better…"

Hermione kissed him on the lips. She whispered, looking into his eyes, "I don't want someone else. I want you."

He knew it was wrong. Merlin, did he know it was wrong. It wasn't fair to her, to him, to anyone. But he decided to be selfish – just this once more.

He unclipped her bra and let it fall from her shoulders. Slowly, meaningfully, he took both straps and pulled it away from her body. Draco's eyes glazed over as he took a breast in each hand, kneading them around, his large hands nearly completely covering them. He leaned up and kissed Hermione's nose, then each cheek, then her lips. Slowly, like a man who knew exactly how to drive her insane, he worked his way down her jawline, then on her neck, then her collarbones, then her chest. He gave each sensitive nipple a little kiss, flicking his tongue around on them. Hermione gasped when his tongue first made contact with the sensitive skin, then let out a low moan. He continued to suckle on a breast, relishing in the noises she let out, before letting a hand wander to her panties – white, sensible, cotton; just what he'd expect from Hermione. He made quick work of pulling them out of his way, Hermione kicking them the rest of the way off her body.

He let his fingers do the talking. He let his middle finger rest at her entrance, probing ever so slightly. Hermione gasped, and he looked up at her. She was in the throes of pleasure, and he took it as a sign to keep going. Feeling her damp core, he pushed a finger in, and began to explore around her cavern. She moaned and gasped and ran her fingers through his hair. Then he added another finger, and Hermione moaned louder. Draco decided he was done exploring. He began to pump his fingers in and out of her, and she cried out in pleasure.

He moved his lips down from her breasts to give her core his full, undivided attention. The way she was tightening around his fingers, he could tell she was getting close. His tongue explored the area around her clitoris, and she shuttered. Hearing her breath quicken, he closed his lips around her sensitive bud, and sucked on it, flicking it with his tongue every so often.

With a cry, she orgasmed. She arched her back off the bed and her hands clutched the bedsheets, grasping anything to keep her grounded. She gasped as she came down from her high, and looked at Draco's cocky smirk.

"So," he drawled. "How was i– "

Before he could finish bragging, he grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back down to her, kissing him harshly. "Take that underwear off, you arse," she groaned against his lips. He wrestled a bit as he tried to take them off without breaking his kiss with Hermione. Once he'd finally kicked them off, Hermione saw he was already hard and rearing to go. Her cheeks were flushed, but he could see the worry in her eyes.

"We don't have to if you don't want to," Draco told her hurriedly.

"No," Hermione said quickly. "No, it's not that. It's just… it's been a long time since I've let anyone control me like this, since I've felt this…"

"Vulnerable?"

"Yeah."

"Would you prefer to be on top?"

"No," she said softly. She touched his cheek intimately. "No, I trust you."

Draco felt humbled. He reached over and grabbed his wand, then cast a contraceptive charm. He lined himself up with her throbbing entrance, then he looked up at her once more, "It shouldn't hurt too much, but if it does, tell me to stop."

Hermione nodded, biting down on her bottom lip, preparing for the pain. He began to push in, and she felt him break the barrier – but it didn't hurt too much. Not nearly as much as everyone had told her it would. She felt a bit of stinging. She'd heard plenty of horror stories from her fellow Gryffindor girls about how there's blood and how painful it is, but this did not compare. There was very little pain, there was only pleasure. "Why," she croaked out. "Why doesn't it hurt like everyone said it would?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Most guys don't know how to make sure it doesn't hurt and go in dry. I'd assume that hurts virgin or not." He kissed her softly. He had paused his actions when he felt her hymen break.

"Keep going," she said, wriggling underneath him a bit.

Draco nodded and pushed forward until he was fully sheathed inside her. She gasped and he groaned, and he let it rest for just a moment. Then he pulled himself out, and went back in slowly. Hermione let out what could only be described as a purr. It didn't hurt – it felt incredible.

Out, and in.

Draco really knew what he was doing, that was for sure. As his pace picked up, she moaned louder. She reached around so her hands held onto his back, her nails digging in slightly, leaving crescent moon shaped imprints on his back. This only seemed to spur him on more.

Hermione couldn't think straight anymore, her eyes were hazy with ecstasy's grip on her. She arched her back, rolled her hips, the only words said being ' _more … faster … I need you … fuck! … Draco … Hermione …'_

Draco grabbed her legs and wrapped them around his waist, and he pummeled even deeper. Draco felt pride that he was making her feel this good. _Him._

O spirit of Vanity, thy name is Malfoy!

She moaned and occasionally let out a slight scream as he slammed into her. He loved this – fuck, he must really love her. He's never cared about anyone else's pleasure like this in his life. Sure, he made sure whatever girl he bedded got off, he did have a reputation to uphold, but he felt as if he would be a failure if Hermione wasn't enjoying this as much as him.

After what seemed like both an eternity and a second at once, Hermione dug her nails deeper into his back, and dragged them down slightly as she whispered, "Draco, I'm – I'm almost there."

"Me, too," he grunted. He heightened his pace, and when he felt himself reaching the end, he reached between their bodies and rubbed her clitoris hard. She let out a scream, and he felt her finish around him. The feel of her clenching was far too much for him to bear. He released inside her, riding it out. He gasped for air, and fell down on the bed next to her. He kissed her softly on the lips, and ran feather-light fingertips over her body. They lay there for a while; sweating, spent, but content.

Hermione sighed and snuggled closer to him. "I wish this day would never end." She closed her eyes, ready to take a nap now.

He pulled her closer to him, as the guilt for betraying her washed over him. "If only... if only…"

 **-o-**

It was back to parenting class, and the children were growing fast. The children were now nearing ten months, and the following Monday would mark their growth at one year.

Hope was beginning to babble a bit more, trying her best to communicate, just like many of the children were now. Draco and Hermione had grown even closer since they'd consummated their relationship a few days before; well, if one could call it a relationship. Hermione wasn't sure if they were official or anything, they hadn't really talked about it, but she was _sure_ they were by this point… right? She tried to keep the worries out of her head.

Draco and Hermione had Hope sitting in the high-chair all the couples were provided with for classes, and they were having a bit of fun sparring each other as they argued over the state of several magical creatures – it was quite a change from the fighting they'd done years before, where things had almost gotten bloody every time, but a friendly debate.

"You can't be serious," Draco interjected. "You rode a dragon out of Gringott's?"

Hermione nodded.

Draco scoffed. "So, let me get this straight: You refuse to get on a broom, but you'll ride a bloody dragon?"

"I didn't want to," Hermione defended. "That poor creature was used as a guard dog, and was mistreated in the bank. Here's hoping they don't find her."

"Don't you think someone should go after her? She'd be a bit skittish, I'd think, being locked in a bank for so long."

"We've asked Charlie Weasley to go searching for her so he can bring her to the reserve. It's a bit of a challenge to track down a dragon, but he is a Weasley. He likes the challenge," Hermione said with a shrug. "He's good at what he does. When he was nineteen, he helped us smuggle a dragon out of the castle."

"Damn it," Draco muttered. "I knew you guys had done something to get rid of the dragon in first year! I just thought you'd hidden it in the Forbidden Forest."

Hermione felt something hit the back of her head. She turned and saw Daphne had thrown a balled up piece of parchment at her. Daphne mouthed the words 'open it!'

Hermione unrumpled the note and read the words:

 _Still on for slumber party at Pansy's on Saturday?_

 _(That isn't really a question, I'll make you come anyways!)_

\- _DG_

Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded at her friend. Daphne smiled widely. The two girls had become quite close over the past week and a half they'd been talking. Hermione had never been very good at making friends, let alone girl friends, but now that she had more than just Ginny and Luna, she wondered why she hadn't decided to seek them out before. She never saw herself friends with a Slytherin, let alone a pureblood, wealthy one like Daphne, but they'd found a lot of commonalities between them, and Hermione found it refreshing to be around a girl who also appreciated studying and books. She and Daphne had become regular study partners at the library, and it seemed most people had just decided to go along with the unexpected partnership – no one wanted to be on the opposite end of a wand from either of them.

Ginny sat down at her usual table behind Draco and Hermione, and Harry swiftly followed her, carrying the little James. Ginny greeted Daphne, who was sitting directly behind her, and the two began to talk. Harry set James on the table, the boy sitting up on his own and looking around curiously at the surroundings. Harry kept a protective arm around the tot as the boy sat in the direct center of the table.

Draco smirked at the infamous Boy Who Lived. "He isn't glass."

Harry returned with a glare that held no ill will. "Well, they are quite delicate. Have you dropped yours already?"

"No!" Draco defended.

"Why ya' getting so defensive, Malfoy?" Ron teased as he entered the room with Pansy. "Sounds like you're lying."

"I have _not_ dropped my child!" Draco hollered as the boys laughed at his expense.

Hope gurgled and held her chubby arms out at James, who began to scoot towards her in turn. Harry stopped his boy from scooting off the end of the table with a yelp. Draco laughed and rolled his eyes, before placing Hope on the table beside James. The two babies began to talk to each other in their special baby language. The boys watched happily as the children interacted with each other.

"'Mione," Ginny called for her. Hermione scooted her chair to be closer to Ginny, Daphne and Pansy. "So, what are the plans for the sleepover this weekend, girls?" She asked once the four girls were all around her.

"I was thinking of using a few spells I learned over the summer to be able to show you all a movie," Hermione said.

Ginny clapped happily. "Oh, yes!"

Daphne's eyebrows knit together. "What's a movie?" Pansy nodded in agreement, also not knowing.

"You guys are a bit repressed you know," Ginny told them. "It's an incredible muggle thing, one of the coolest things I've ever seen! It's like theatre, but recorded and you can watch it as many times as you want – there's so much more but even I don't completely understand it, 'Mione can explain it much better."

"Planning a fun night, girls?" Harry asked teasingly as he interjected himself into the conversation.

"Going to have any sexy pillow fights?" Draco added with a smirk.

Pansy snorted. "Doubtful."

"Well that's too bad, we sure are," Draco told them.

"Oh, really now?" Hermione asked, grinning.

"Someone in this relationship has got to have the sexy pillow fights," Draco informed her grandly.

Harry nodded and nudged Ginny playfully. "It's true, someone has got to meet the pillow fight requirement with all these sleepovers you girls are having."

"To be fair," Daphne began. "You boys are having the exact same number of sleepovers as us, since we're asking – "

"Forcing," Theo coughed from beside her.

" – You guys to get together and watch the kids while us girls have a nice, relaxing time together."

Hermione watched as the group joked in jest. She had to admit, it was strange, even from an insider's perspective. To be laughing and talking so happily with Daphne Greengrass, Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott, and Draco Malfoy. Then again, she supposed stranger things had happened. She was having trouble coming up with any of those things at the moment, but she was quite sure they were there.

McGonagall swooped in and closed the door behind her. The class quickly returned to their seats and she began her lesson. "Welcome, class," she began. "So, has everyone's child started crawling yet?" When everyone raised their hands, she asked again, "How many of you have witnessed your child trying to stand on their own?" A little more than half raised their hands. "Good. Today, I'd like you all to help them stand. Let me know how long they can do it. Begin."

The sound of seats scooting out was all that was heard for a bit. Draco scooped up Hope and sat her on top of the desk. Hermione grabbed the little girl's hands, and Draco lifted her so she landed on her feet. Draco held the baby around the middle, Hermione holding her hands. Hope remained quite steady, and smiled at her parents. They smiled back.

"Do you think… do you think one of us should let go?" Draco asked. When Hermione nodded, he reluctantly removed his hands from the child's middle, but stayed with his hands close in case she stumbled. Hope remained a force to be reckoned with, as she still did not fall. She giggled as she held her mother's hands in hers, and took a step forward. Hermione smiled even wider. "Draco, do you think she's ready to walk?" Hope had walked with them holding her upright somewhat, but the babe seemed ready to walk on her own.

Draco went to stand on the other side of the table lengthwise, and Hermione scooped Hope up and took her to the edge she was on. Hermione held Hope around the waist, and slowly let go, her hands hovering just in case the baby fell and she needed to catch her. "Walk to daddy," Hermione instructed, pointing at Draco.

Hope smiled and took a wobbly step forward; she teetered for a moment, Hermione steadying her quickly, before Hope took off with a few quick steps and she shouted "Dada!" as she continued to hobble over to Draco on the other side of the table. She tripped right as she was by Draco, who immediately grabbed her before she hit the table. He smiled at her.

"Well done! Hope Malfoy is the first of the babies to take her first steps," McGonagall exclaimed. "A bit early, so don't worry if your child has not started walking yet."

"Even as a baby, the spawn of a Malfoy and a Granger is an overachiever," Daphne proclaimed with a wink.

"What else could we expect?" Harry asked happily.

Draco smiled and held Hope closer. He kissed Hermione on the cheek as she approached him. With an aching heart, Draco realized that this was the happiest he'd been in his entire life. And that made it hurt even more knowing that he'd have to tell Hermione the truth soon.


End file.
